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The Remaking of Our House
The Builders Association outdid themselves at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Harvey Theater, with their new theatrical play using multimedia. Recounting the history of the financial crisis of the housing bubble, “House/Divided,” directed by Marianne Weems, magnificently weaved together the past and present through intricate technology and a creative set. The play was inspired by John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and motivated by discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder. The story was told through two intertwining perspectives: first, from families suffering environmental or financial difficulties that forced them to leave their homes, and two, from brokers and banks that were the forces that made the families leave.
Brooklyn Academy of Music – Harvey Theater. Photo credits to BAM.
Integrating technology and lighting masterfully, the play switched between the Dust Bowl (past) and the housing stock brokers (present). Although consecutively alternating the time frame did initially create confusion, it was not difficult to understand the effect of the technique. The scene of the Dust Bowl was projected onto a house-like platform in the center of stage while the stock brokers were on left stage. Using lights, our attention was focused onto the screening in which we learned how a man-made ecological disaster drove a family out of their homes. Such was juxtaposed with the banks and stock brokers who, in the same way as the Dust Bowl, forced a man to be evicted from his house. The bank was said to be “the monster[; it] has to have profits all the time. It can’t wait. It’ll die.”
A scene in House/Divided where effective image projection and acting on the left side combined to create this new form of multimedia theater. Photo credits to Jay LaPrete.
The most provoking aspect of this would be that Builders Association really emphasized the emotional pain the evicted tenants were when they were forced out of their homes–a place filled with history and memories–rather than provide extraordinary numbers to illustrate a point. The music contributed heavily to such effect, creating high tension with fast techno beats and sorrow with slow paced sounds. We could only watch as workers “trash out” the man’s belongings in his former house. The old saw no future and could only hope that their children could create one.
The actors effectively brought out the complexity of the financial crisis and what led to the great economic downfall. In many parts of the play, there would be non-linear conversations. Multiple people would concurrently speak, making it very difficult to concentrate on their conversations. However, the audience could make out that the workers paid no attention to their superiors, like the stock brokers from Bear Stern ignoring their boss’s executive speech. The actors all spoke clearly and quickly, as if they were in sync with their role as businessmen. The use of overlapping conversations did not create incredible confusion; rather it was used to illustrate the chaos and ignorance that ultimately led to the stock market crash in 2008.
The set was especially impressive and efficient when combined with projection technology. With the help of projection technology, the sides and back stage was able to alternate through the different time periods with ease. At the heart of the stage and play sat a house-like structure. When appropriate images were projected onto it, it was initially used as a screen. Then when the families living in homes were introduced, it became a house. What was even more amazing was that inside the house were the musicians playing instruments. It was difficult to see through the screens that acted as the outer layer of the house but they were there, along with the casts outside, performing on stage. Toward the end, the crew took apart the house, which took very little time, brought out a podium and shown bright lights on its center. And so, the house transformed into an auction center. Once the auction platform had performed its role, it was quickly taken apart and removed from stage to make room for a table in which Alan Greenspan was questioned.
The main set seen in House/Divided. As shown, the house appearance is created by projecting an image onto the movable structure. Also, musicians are inside the home playing instruments for this theatrical piece. Photo credits to BAM.
Simplifying the complexity of the housing bubble was no easy task but Builders Association pulled it off marvelously. It was stunning that the first comment during the Talk Back session by an elderly woman was, “YOU BLEW IT!” She criticized the play had failed its purpose to engage the audience and leave them with feelings of anger or emotion. It was not wise for director Weems to shut her down and ignored her criticism. She could have responded in a friendly manner, even if it was to move on to the next questioner. That said, what the elderly woman said was not accurate. The play was provoking, but in a subtle manner. It left the audiences with a good grasp of our financial crisis and exhibited the emotional pain and sufferings the evicted tenants had to face. We might not leave wanting to eradicate banks all over the nation, but we should leave thinking how we would “[remake] a house that is undone physically and economically.”
The Queen of Description
Katherine Vaz, the 29th writer in residence of the Harman Writer program, came to Baruch to speak about her 5th book, but also her writing in general. Her writing was full of imagery and metaphors. Speaking of “eating music”, she described the mother pleading for help in a dignified way. The character in her new book is described as “consuming the birds song” from within the jail; an extremely fresh and vivid metaphor describing the woman’s distress.
She told the story of a family moving to the Midwest. “In the beginning was New York. The Midwest would be a haven of jobs and shelter. Here praising God is action.” Her writing flows beautifully well and invokes and incites the reader’s and audience’s imagination and memory. Vaz confesses the difficulty she had when writing the war scenes. However, the reader would be totally unaware of her clumsiness as her writing flowed beautiful even in her war writing. She describes the men “crying out for their mothers, always their mothers.” The savagery of war is illustrated by her portrayal of wild animals eating and attacking the bodies of men. She depicts the battle horses as “dreams of flight”, with their sleekness and regality saying, “any horse, after all, is evidence of God’s artistry.”
During the Question and Answer session Vaz was asked many questions by aspiring writers. Some of her advice included, “There is not good time to start [writing]. Commit to writing, 15 minutes in the morning.” This advice mirrors the same advice I’ve received from almost all my English teachers. It seems that by habitually forcing yourself to write something down each day, we eventually come up with something that we want to pursue and refine.
Katherine Vaz also spoke of different words of wisdom she tries to keep in mind every time she writes. The first quote she spoke of was by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “People tire of magic and want the real.” I especially enjoyed this quote. The simplicity, yet veracity of the statement resounded within my very being. We don’t want to be fooled, but told the truth. Humans don’t like be tricked.
She also tried to follow the advice of Percy, “The feel of the place on your skin”, especially in describing the wind of Jacksonville. Vaz stressed the importance of research in developing a character’s persona. Her Portuguese roots and Catholic background helped form a strong foundation for all her writing. Katherine Vaz’s unbelievable ability to take an audience through an experience was absolutely wonderful.
Endless Violence: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Apartheid
Heading into the International Center of Photography (ICP) felt like entering a regular museum, not one filled with photos documenting the tragedy, bloodshed, cruelty, and violence of the apartheid in South America. The reality of the apartheid felt distant on words but with the graphic photographs, it became very difficult to stay indifferent to the situation. Putting their very lives on the line, the photographers such as Leon Levson, Earnest Cole, Graeme Williams, Kevin Carter, and Greg Marinovich, and many more, achieved that effect with their photographs.
The Rise and Fall of Apartheid Exhibit at the ICP. Photo credits to DLKCOLLECTION at http://dlkcollection.blogspot.com/2012/12/rise-and-fall-of-apartheid-photography.html
Of the very first photographs I saw, the one by Leon Levson took struck me the most. In his photo called Sleeping Quarters at Miners’ Hotel, Consolidated Gold Roof Mine, taken at Johannesburg, 1946, I could sense the harsh living conditions of South Africans. The miners sleep on rows of eight beds adjacent to one another with barely any space in between or to move around in their bed. In the picture, it also showed a person eating at a very small round table (the only one in the room). He was dressed very lightly with a plain white shirt and pants. There were shoes in a messed on the floor and a bicycle hanging next to the beds. The others in the room looked very skinny and tired, with grim faces that revealed no signs of enjoyment or satisfaction.
Moving along, photographs themselves seemed to evolve as written words were incorporated along with people. Viewers no longer had to guess what the photographs meant; we might not appreciate it presently because it’s so common in our age, but at the time it was revolutionary for apartheid photographers everywhere. Using written words to convey a message on photographs was clearly endorsed by Earnest Cole. He took photograph of signs from 1958 to 1966 showing just how segregated South Africa was. Some of those signs said, “Separate entrance for non-Europeans and tradesmen’s boys,” “Black woman scrubbing whites-only stairway,” “Segregated bus station” and “Bus for non-Europeans only.” In sum, what Mr. Cole and the photographs were revealing to us literally was an openly bigoted society.
In addition to verbal abuse and racial isolation, there was brutal violence, often resulting in the deaths of Africans. Towards the end of the exhibit in the basement, there was a photograph of Nelson Mandela with his hand raised up in a fist to show victory after his release from Victor Verster Prison in 1990. The photograph was taken by Graeme Williams. That photo of Mandela, however, was juxtaposed with many other photos illustrating the continuation of bloody violence in the same area. One of which was taken by Kevin Carter of a scene in 1994; it was called “Press photographer James Nachtwey takes cover during a street battle between ANC supporters and Zulu miners loyal to the Inkatha Freedom Party. The photograph showed some white camera men and a black woman taking cover from gun fire. One African was holding a submachine gun to shoot against the other party. By placing these photographs in the same area, the organizers for this exhibit effectively convey to the viewers that the conflict (apartheid) still exists even though “victory” has been declared.
Nelson Mandela with Winnie Mandela as he is released from the Victor Vester Prison, 1990. Credits to the photographer, Greame Williams.
The photos were well organized in the exhibit on the ground floor, placing them chronologically in terms of events and groups. The gallery not only included photographs but also videos and news announcements about the relevant event in that specific part of the exhibit. All images and videos had some text next to it to show the photographers (some were labeled unidentified), copyright, type of print, and courtesy message. As we walked in and saw the gallery from the right, then circling around to the left, we could tell that there was an increase in the tension level of apartheid (rise). To reach the end (in name, officially, anyway in 1994) of apartheid, we must travel downstairs to the basement of the exhibit (fall). With this layout, the organizers wonderfully portrayed the rise and fall of apartheid both chronologically and physically (our movements). And although there was a fall or official end to the apartheid in Africa, the violence between different parties carrying views of segregation and integration still persists. Perhaps the organizers might not have intended this, but I certainly felt the message that the violence did not cease as I was walking back up the stairs (rise) to exit the exhibit.
Great Show, Disappointing Q&A
I very much liked “House Divided” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I think the show was very successful in portraying the crisis through a particular lens. As evidenced by the Q&A session, there was much frustration and almost disdain for the producers and directors of the program. I think the program depicted Wall Street’s role in the crisis very vividly, especially when the mortgage processor was told it wasn’t her place to question the firm’s decisions. The moving stock tickers above the stage were an excellent touch. The young man who played one of the stock traders was excellent. He showed his role versatility and far outshined all the other actors/actresses in the show.
From Google Images
The audio was very clear; especially considering how high and far back we were sitting. I believe the use of props and scenery was very well done. The house that was able to allow the audience to see inside was magnificent, nothing I’ve ever seen before. The juxtaposition of the Dust Bowl and the displacement of a family with the foreclosure of a home were very vivid.
During the Q&A session, one member of the audience voices her very negative opinion of the program very clearly. She almost needed to be pushed away from the mic, and the Q&A couldn’t shake the negative tone brought on by the first question/statement. It was truly a disappointment.
While the play was very good, I was very disappointed that the Q&A was not more of a view into the minds of the actors, producers, and directors.
Different Opinions Left this House Divided
For four consecutive evenings, the Brooklyn Academy of Music put on House/Divided, an original production inspired by John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. The show itself smoothly transitioned back and forth between two distinct settings. The first is inside a brokerage firm, which allows the audience to see the large scale, economic effects of the Great Depression. The other half of the performance follows the Joad family, the main characters of Steinbeck’s novel. This setting follows them on their difficult journey westward and highlights the individual struggle for families during the 1930’s.
The set of this production is very confusing at first, but it allows the audience to see the opposing sides of people during the Depression quite effectively. Stationed on the left are two brokers, who seem to be exchanging stocks within their firm. In the middle, there is a run down home that emphasizes the hardships of the Joads. All the way to the right, there is a single man constantly playing music that adds to the emotions already being portrayed. Lastly, there is a projector in the background, along with a stock market ticker. At first, I thought the transiting was going to be awkward, considering everything was crammed on stage. However, Jennifer Tipton and her crew did a superb job with the lighting, allowing the audience to focus their attention on certain cast members.
Photo Credit: James Gibbs
If someone wanted to attend a show for quality acting, this was the production to choose. Throughout the evening, the audience has a sense of all the emotions that many families dealt with during the Depression. The Joad family experiences many hardships in such a brief period of time. Within a few months, they are evicted from their home, they are out of work, their grandfather dies, and Rose of Sharon delivers a stillborn baby. But the actors who play the Joads magnificently provide the viewers with the necessary sense of fear and distress. In a similar way, the music only adds to the theatrics of the night. When the stock market crashes, the music goes from serine to hectic. It progressively gets louder during the evening, and the crowd becomes one with the Joads.
Overall, the BAM Harvey Theater displayed an excellent rendition of the Great Depression. However, some people begged to differ. A seemingly harmless, elderly woman took to the microphone during the post-show talkback. As soon as she got to where the microphone was, she exclaimed, “YA BLEW IT!” Silence fell in the room, as this out of whack viewer rambled on about the poor quality of the production. Rather than calmly responding to the lady, one of the female producers immediately jumped on her case to shut her down. To me, both of the women did not handle this situation properly; luckily it did not take away from the actual main event.
After that whole instance, the producers went on to discuss their reason for making this show. “It’s about making the invisible, visible,” said one of the producers. I found this statement to hold some immense value because often times, people do not notice the inevitable forces of nature that are affecting their lives. For those who stayed for the talkback, they gained insight about making a theater production in addition to the stellar production that preceded it.
Photo Credit: Richard Termine, NY Times
A Glimpse of the Struggle
Apartheid was a time of terrible inequality in South Africa filled with violence and passion. The ICP exhibit on Apartheid captured that passion and struggle through a variety of different pictures. The photographers of the time such as Peter Magubane and Ken Oosterbroek risked everything and snapped the emotional pictures that filled the halls of the exhibit.
Credits to http://lostfoundremembered.com/2012/09/29/international-center-of-photography/
When you first walk into the exhibition, it seems like a normal museum. There are plain hallways lined with photos and magazines to look at and not touch. Taking photographs of the pictures was prohibited. But as you walk further down the hall, the story develops chronologically, in a well-organized display of the struggle of Apartheid. The themes in each room are evident and clearly brought out, with helpful descriptions on the walls. The writing adds context and gives the information that the vivid pictures could not provide. The photos surrounding you are graphic, and when you see up-close and personal the terrors that were Apartheid, you empathize with the struggle no matter what race you are.
Some of the pictures like Peter Magubane’s “Sharpeville Funeral” just leave you with a sense of despair and sorrow. The black and white image of a row of coffins, casualties of Apartheid, and all the sad faces just display the emotions people had during the time. It emphasizes the theme of violence, but at the same time shows the determination that the Africans had to gain their liberties. No amount of illegal handcuffing and searching (as seen in many photos of the exhibit) would deter these people, even when they could trust no one. The police, as seen in Magubane’s “The Notorious Green Police Car” would shoot at innocent passersby. But a dangerous and cold environment where even the police couldn’t be trusted would not stop the struggle for equality.
Sharpeville Funeral
Credits to Peter Magubane
Numerous photos depict the dead bodies covered by newspapers and the segregation that plagued the area. In photos of the Soweto Uprising, you can see how people used anything from rocks and garbage can lids to protect themselves from the violence. Graphic images capture the crying faces of people carrying dead bodies through the streets. A main focus of the exhibit was Steve Biko’s funeral. Many pictures show the crowds of people that attended his funeral. He was a hero to them. He stood up for rights but was beaten and tortured to death by police. Black and white images of his body fill a section of a wall on the upper floor, leaving you with the image of his face as you walk down the stairs. There were even some virtual photo albums about the funeral in this section displayed on the available iPads. These iPads had themed albums and added a creative technological touch to the exhibit.
But while documenting the graphic violence of the time period, some photographs also displayed the theme of life going on. Jürgen Schoenberg’s “Township Shuffle” was in the section showing that despite all the violence, people carried on their culture. This was one of many photos that showed dancing, jazz and fashion during the period of Apartheid. There were Drum magazines in cases that showed uplifting and new fashion and models, keeping up hope. Through the struggle, the Africans persevered with the knowledge that life continues and they must go with it – a powerful and uplifting idea in a time of chaos.
Credits to http://lostfoundremembered.com/2012/09/29/international-center-of-photography/
The exhibit was very well organized, going chronologically and showing the rise and fall of Apartheid. But although the walk-through is chronological, actual rooms had different themes that sometimes did not flow from one to another. It was challenging to follow what the curator wanted me to see. Descriptions on the wall of each time period were very helpful in determining the themes of each room. However, the labels of each photo were hard to follow since it was done as a group, not individually by photo. But the exhibit left me thinking about the graphic images of Apartheid and with the well-crafted theme that throughout the struggle, life goes on.
When Divided Parts Come Together
Taking two different time periods and weaving them together masterfully, “House/Divided” was a very inventive production. The first component of the play was inspired by John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” and told a narrative about a family struggling through the dust bowl and having to move out west. The other component was a more recent one, bringing up the worries and the fear of the current mortgage crisis. Bringing these two periods together with videos and technology, the play was creative in idea and even better in production.
The Dust Bowl component featured American history about a family struggling to pay for their land. The Dust Bowl ruined their crops and they are forced to move out west. The video screen in the back plays the haunting images of despair and dry land, leaving a hopeless mood for the family. It also zooms in on the actors sometimes, mirroring their well-done actions and allowing the viewer to see close-up that the family can do nothing to fix their problems. Except for their song that was hard to understand, the actors all display the feeling of hopelessness and deliver clear, powerfully written lines. The dark narration voice tone deepens the sadness and offers eerie details of overgrown grass, and how the abandon houses have become hunting grounds for wild cats chasing mice. We follow the family as they move to California looking for work and hope. But despair follows them as they cannot afford a funeral for the grandfather, and are cursed with a stillborn child.
Credits to James Gibbs
The current component of the production focuses on Wall Street and the crisis. The bankers curse like Wall Street bankers do, making the acting realistic in subtle ways. They are rude on the phones, but suck up to the bosses, everything that a banker has to do to get the job done. Featuring real videos of people speaking, this part of the production showed the fear and worry that many people had about foreclosure. This play also revealed the shocking truth that the ones who spoke out and questioned the securitization system were reprimanded and ignored. Speeches by the CEO of Lehman brothers and the questioning of Alan Greenspan also showed how confident people were in the system, but how it ultimately failed and bankrupted many.
Credits to Richard Termine
The set consisted of a medium sized, two-story house in the middle of the stage that played a role in the Dust Bowl family’s life and roles in the current crisis. What was fantastic about this was that it looked so simple, yet it was very complex. As the play progressed, parts of the house would turn and come off, and the house would give a different look to the scene as it was used for a different purpose. It started off as a home, then transformed to look like a garage, then it was eventually taken down to just a table, where Alan Greenspan was questioned.
Technology played a big role in the play. In the very beginning, a projector shined on the set, and displayed boards being placed on top of each other, like the building of a house. It created a hologram effect that captured attention from the start. The projector would continue to display different images to emphasize points as the play progressed. The house itself would allow viewers to see the inside at some points, and then cut them off from view at others, making the house very versatile and effective in intriguing the audience. Using the video screen to create emotion and a setting was very creative. Despite the video screen messing up and showing part of a clip twice, the use of technology and interviews with real people added to the power and believability of the play. Even subtle changes like the ticker in the background changing from green to red helped create emotion and carry on the message.
Credits to James Gibbs
The playwrights wanted the audience to walk away with the complexity of the problem and reflect on it. While one woman felt that the there was no plot, feeling, wrath, and bad music and overall the play just blew it, she is wrong. The play brought the audience into a familiar story, made us feel and reflect, and put on a creative and innovative work.
The Story of Apartheid in 3 Pictures
On a cold, bitter day our class trekked over to the International Center for Photography to view the “Rise and Fall of Apartheid: Photography and the Bureaucracy of Everyday Life” Upon entering two televisions played looped scenes of both the beginning and end of apartheid. The curators of the exhibit set up different areas for guests to view different stages and categories of the rise and fall of apartheid in South Africa.
There were so many photos and videos on display throughout the entire center, and it was almost impossible to view each one patiently and up close, stopping to think about the scene captured by a lens just a few decades ago. I therefore decided to focus my intention on just a few photographs, glancing over the remaining quickly to gain context and perspective.
The first photo that really struck me was of black South African women holding signs, “We Stand by Our Leaders”. As a tour guide passed, leading an older couple through the gallery, I heard her assert the importance of signage to the South African anti-apartheid movement. Upon looking around, I knew she was right. Almost every-other photo contained a sign; all statements of defiance and civil disobedience, bringing is back to the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s and the British anti-colonial movement in India led by Gandhi. The power of disobedience is much stronger than violence as illustrated by all three of these movements. In the middle of this black and white photo stood a young boy, who appeared to be around 12 or 13. The only aspect that seemed striking was the color of his skin. He was white surrounded by a sea of black. Who knows how he came to be in the picture? Maybe it was at his own free will, or perhaps a mother or father wanted his/her son to stand for something that was good and right.
The next photo that popped out for me was a photo of a white South African woman standing next to a sign on which was written, “The Bible Proclaims: Segregate!” As a Christian myself, it pains me to see religion, especially my own religion, as a justification for evil. Religion throughout the centuries has been used to assert dominance over people and mis-used to subjugate people and degrade them. The old woman looks very tired and angry in the picture. Maybe she is frustrated by her own situation. I really like the old statue in the background. The shift from the old traditional way to the new and the resistance to this change is very much evident in this picture.
Towards the end of the gallery, there was a famous picture of Nelson Mandela along with Winnie Mandela. The two are pictured holding hands with their other hands raised in fists defiantly. This pose has become a symbol for defiance and triumphant in the face of such adversity. Finally, after so many struggles, the nation of South Africa has ended legal apartheid. However, as noted in the exhibit there is still a struggle for real integration, as apartheid cannot be totally wiped away by any one law.
Photos courtesy of ICP.org
Such a REproduction
With the familiar Carmen Prelude, a classic production composed by George Bizet, the opera Carmen was opened at The Metropolitan Opera (the MET) in Lincoln Center. The production itself wasn’t that much different from the previous seasons with the exact costumes and setting. Although the story was vivid and the setting was impressively done, people who returned for surprises may found the piece predictable with the same story and no new elements—maybe even with a little shock on the singing.
A special note on the modern dance at the beginning of Act I and Act III—it was a phenomenal transition into the actual opera. In both acts, the dancers Maria Kowroski and Eric Otto were skillful and thus successfully brought the audience from the lousy reality into the mood of Carmen, which could be interpreted as both tragic and dramatic. With the irregular curtain opened, the red light at first foreshadowed the ending (especially when in the end red light was presented once again); the blue light signified the sharp switch in emotions between Carmen and Don José. Pairing with the lighting, two distinctive styles of dance, credited to Christopher Wheeldon, were presented. One was passionate but seemingly morose; the other was smooth but with a sense of coldness in mood. Aside from the other expected, this was actually a splendid detail that I’m glad the directors decided to maintain.
Personally, I had never been to an opera before, so this would have been a good first experience if not for the singing of Anita Rachvelishvili (Mezzo-Soprano), the supposedly beloved Carmen. Compared with Micaëla (Kate Royal, Soprano), who preformed in such a high quality, perfecting in notes hitting and emotional content, Carmen failed to impact the audience with the entrance of her character. Her voice was plain and powerless. As the typical Carmen, one’s voice should be at least energetic, not to say Carmen is such an interesting protagonist, so it is the least for one to look for the singer’s own interpretations. With such a high expectation, more disappointment kicked in when Carmen appeared on stage. Even the famous for its gypsy tune song “Habanera” couldn’t make up for Carmen’s lack of sensitivity in her act. Even though she continued to correct herself, one could tell that she wasn’t in her best condition when she gave up the attempt to hit and maintain the high notes in one of her duet songs with Don José.
Don José, on the other hand, was such a distinguishing display by Yonghoon Lee (Tenor). In the opera, the singer was in sync with his character, and delivered a strong message throughout the production. Having been as Don José for several times in his career, Lee continued, if not better, to pursue the audience with his role.
Even though lacked a little surprises, the sets and costumes were still suiting for the acts. Like the supposedly consistent music, conducted beautifully by Michele Mariotti, the sets and costumes became a tradition in Carmen, though unlike the music, it was only so in the MET.
Carmen in “Carmen” (credit to http://theclassicalreview.com/2012/09/rachvelishvilis-sultry-carmen-strikes-sparks-at-the-met/)
Carmen Strikes Back
Despite sitting in the worst seats of the Metropolitan Opera, I was still blown away by the performance of Carmen. The powerful and familiar music made its way to my ears for perhaps the hundredth time in my life. Yet, the tunes never get old and hearing them professionally played was a chance in a lifetime.
It would have been great if I had Orchestra seats but last row seating left an impression that could have been better. The acoustics of the theater are definitely unique and top notch, but whereas the strings easily made its way to my ears, the bass and percussion were not able to do the same. It was as if the oomph in the music only made it past the first balcony. However, the cleanliness of the sound was remarkable and any mistakes made were not apparent. The only problem I noticed took place in one instance in the beginning when the music and the vocals were off. It only happened in that one instant so it was not an apparent problem throughout the remainder of the play.
The vocals throughout the play were superb. Yonghoon Lee’s Don Jose was portrayed strongly with vigor in his voice. His voice dominated the rest of the cast as expected since he was the male lead. Playing the role of Carmen was Anita Rachvelishvili. Her voice was robust, but at times Kate Royal’s sweet graceful voice as Micaela truly drew contrast between the nature of the two characters. Sometimes it felt as if Micaela was the star of the show instead of the promiscuous Carmen. Regardless, each of the performers showed great passion in their voices.
Although the leads left a great performance, that is not to say the rest of the supporting cast was not great as well. The children’s roles was particularly interesting in that their addition to the mixture of the voices in the beginning created the atmosphere of chaos and confusion in the factory.
The costumes were amazingly done. This was the case many of the character in the play. The best example of this can be found with the matadors’ costumes which had intricate designs on them. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the entire Opera was the set. A rotating stage was incorporated to help create a surprisingly different settings. With the help of a few turns and removing a few rails while in combination of certain lightning effects, the mood was drastically changed. The curtain was also very elaborate in the way that it opened. It created a design that like a lightning bolt.
Although I heard complaints on my way out about the ending, I thought the ending was completely appropriate and powerful. Some people have to understand that this is live theater and that this is a play that has been performed for decades. In the end, murder is still murder and it is not necessary to show a brutal killing. As Carmen lay dead on stage, the lighting turning red, left a powerful popping image that I carried home that night. Both the orchestra and cast performed a on par if not above par performance of the classic Carmen.
Fluctuation of Carmen
A red lightning bolt strikes right down the center of the stage, as if it were splitting the stage in half. The setting of the rest of the opera is set up with a rotating center stage and realistic backdrops, which changed up between the scenes, from the cigarette factory to the small inn. The rotating stage and backdrops helped create smoother and more effective transitions. The lighting also played a huge part, assisting the music to set the mood of each and every act and scene.
The music begins and quickly captivates the attention of the audience without beginning the first act. The orchestra plays a suspenseful piece while the curtain rises to reveal the rest of the stage, when two dancers, a shirtless man and a fierce young woman, move swiftly and passionately across the stage. Their movements give the audience a slight sense of the explicit emotions that lie between the relationship of the two leading characters, Carmen and Don Jose.
As the two dancers glide back stage, the first plot rolls into action in front of an old cigarette factory. Micaela, played by Kate Royal, innocently asks the soldiers for Don Jose, played by Yonghoon Lee, in her harmonious soprano pitch. The soldiers are all infatuated, asking Micaela to stay with them in their booming voices. The voices of some characters are crisp and clear, even to those in the last row of the theater. Unexpectedly, the female lead did not reach the same expectations as the other characters. Carmen, played by Anita Rachvelishvili, was equally as passionate but her voice seemed to fall short and tremble at times. This did not complement her costume and hair, which suggested her to be the seductive and promiscuous character. Her physical attractiveness did not seem to reach that of Carmen’s – Royal may have been more suited for this role.
Image found on Google
The children of the factory who scrambled on stage did well on their part. Even though there were probably thirty or more of them on stage, with a range of different ages, their performance still impressed the audience. Their movements and voices were unified.
The beginning of the play started off strong and lively; the audience was on the edge of their seats to see how Don Jose would react to Carmen seducing him. The physical infatuation was readily apparent between the two characters. As the second act began, the crowd seemed to lose interest and began shuffling around in their seats. The performance began to lack the enthusiasm that it started off with and seemed to leave the audience hanging with the anticipation the first act had built up. However, the opera seemed to pick itself back up to some extent. It appeared as if Don Jose had planned to kill Carmen, even though it was intended to have shown him killing her out of anger and frustration. Nevertheless, the red lights that turned on, with Carmen’s body laying on stage, left the audience with quite an unforgettable image.
Image found on Google
This performance of the opera was not its fullest potential. The backdrop and rotating stage was very helpful; the costumes and makeup on the characters were very suitable for the plot; however, the singing is only on par but has a lot of potential. The opera started off strong but began to fluctuate and ended off on a note that was disappointing in the end.
The Roller Coaster Performance of Carmen
Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera (better known as the MET), has brought about some striking changes for the 2012-2013 opera season. According to the October 2012 edition of the playbill, he plans to find a balance of productions that will appeal to audiences of all kinds. For the last few years, the Met has featured Carmen, a famous 19th century George Bizet opera. With his new changes comes a change in casting, as Gelb has given Anita Rachvelishvili the responsibility of playing the beautiful, seductive Carmen.
Anita Rachvelishvili gives an impression of power and strength when she first appears in the cigarette factory in Seville. Her mezzo-soprano vocal range allows her to hit her notes well and convinces the audience of the true fire within Carmen. Her superb acting is reflected when she flirtatiously stabs Don Jose with the rose. But as the night progressed, Carmen’s performance becomes rather lackluster. Her voice begins to fade with time, and it almost takes away from her excellent acting ability.
Contrary to Carmen, Micaela, a peasant girl played by Kate Royal, seems to outshine the star later on in the production. During Act 3, Micaela’s singing echoes gracefully throughout the opera house when she tries to convince Don Jose to return home with her. Her counterpart, Don Jose, may well have been the premier performer of the evening. Younghoon Lee played the role of the young corporal within the army. His powerful voice effectively shows his passion, especially when he quarrels with Carmen in Act 3.
Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
Perhaps one of the more impressing sights of the opera was the rotating set. As Act 1 opens, Micaela comes searching for Don Jose at his army base. During the same act, the set completely morphs into a cigarette factory with the floor and building automatically rotating. This revolving stage keeps the audience’s attention, and allows them to easily transition from one scene to the next. Of course the scenery of the opera would not have been complete without the entrancing costumes.
Carmen, a young, seductive, Spanish factory worker wears an intricate black dress that has floral black and white sleeves. Her bold wardrobe assures the audience that Carmen is not your stereotypical woman working at the factory. Don Jose, along with the rest of the military men, wore detailed green uniforms that very much resemble the uniforms of soldiers during the 19th century. The children working in the factory had the simplest and possibly the best outfits of the evening. Their ripped-up, raggedy shirts and gowns effectively reflected the strenuous conditions of working in the factory.
The Orchestra does a magnificent job during the evening, remaining completely in unison for the entire three and a half hours. My only main criticism of the evening was during the final act of Carmen. The entire opera was building up suspense for the death of Carmen, and the acting and music did not do her slaughter justice. The acting was cheesy, the orchestra was nonexistent, and the use of lighting was ineffective. It seemed as though what started off to be a classic performance came spiraling down with the final moments of the evening.
Photo Credit: Ken Howard/The Metropolitan Opera
Carmen
I’m sure you’ve heard it before. Even before the curtains open you know you have. But this is where it comes from? Well all right then; maybe the opera isn’t as foreign as you once thought. The opening scene starts with familiar music that comforts the wary first-time opera-goer. The ‘Habanera’ has been injected in pop-culture even if you didn’t know its origins. It is interesting and the orchestra is top notch at delivering the music to the Metropolitan Opera, even to the ‘nosebleeds’ where I was so fortunate to be seated. Another song that I am sure you are aware of is the ‘Toreador,’ you’ll know if you hear it.
Back to the opening scene. The stage is just all red. Redness and then a crack up the center of the curtain slowly breaks open more and more. Then you see a couple of people, one man and one woman, moving and it becomes clear. The redness, the two bodies, their formal ballet movements. It’s passion, and plenty of it. And that theme doesn’t die down; throughout the whole show there is a heavy degree of passion emitted from the stage. Even though it may be past your bedtime, there’s no nodding off. There is laughing, singing, yelling, crying, dying, and it all comes delivered in a fresh French package. Yes, the opera is in French so it would be a plus if you can speak Carmen and Don Jose’s tongue, but not to worry if you don’t. On the back of the headrest of the seat in front of you is a small screen that gives off subtitles in English, Spanish, or German. Leave it to the ‘Met’ to provide such a service, one that’s much appreciated by the way.
Courtesy of the Met
There’s more to appreciate than just the subtitles on the headrests though, how about the opera itself? Wait though, I’m getting ahead of myself, I just want to talk about the stage a bit first. If you want to see a set transform and view it from different angles then Carmen is the show to see. It is ingenious the way the stage moves. The scene changes location right before you.
Though the second scene is where the real magic begins. It is also where we first see the revolving set, with its multiple layers slowly spinning around the stage. There are many intricacies of the stage that are even overlooked. Like the massively jagged edges of the main set that looks like a stadium. It makes it look real as an opera can get. There is also a trap door, which is located smack in the center of the stage that many women pour out of, because apparently a revolving set isn’t good enough for the Met. There are no cutting corners here; even with the actors they did not cut corners.
Speaking of which, the acting was phenomenal for the opera, which was written a while ago so many modifications arose. There was passion (there’s that word again) in the movements of the actors especially. Especially in the ending scene where… (alright I won’t ruin it for you) but, there is loads upon loads of passion in the end scene. Carmen herself is full of raw passion that is not exhibited by the other actresses, mainly because Carmen is the only one that is really supposed to be, which exemplifies her as the main character. She is also distinguished by the loud colors that she drapes herself with. Don Jose seems like just a mess, which fits absolutely perfect with the character he plays. It seems like Carmen is in control the majority of the time, which also fits very well into the storyline of the play.
Courtesy of: Comstock Images, Alamy
The story is great and it shows how the value of some things does not diminish with time. Do the math, Carmen has been playing for years and the seats are still packed. That’s got to mean something.
Carmen: The Highs and Lows
A vibrant and energetic orchestra playing familiar Bizet compositions carries the audience through the roller coaster ride that was Carmen at the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The stage is set in 19th century Seville, and starts off outside a cigarette factory in which a slender woman named Micaela seeks her love, Don Jose. She is shown to be wearing a plain dress, painting an image of innocence. She was one of the standout performers of the night. Katie Royal (soprano) provided a much needed balance between singing quality, emotion, and dancing ability. Royal was able to maintain her voice and fully convey her emotions through body language at the same time. Whether she was trying to wrestle herself away from an overly touchy army officer or having a moment of intimacy with Don Jose (Yonghoon Lee), the audience knew exactly how she was feeling, and the language barrier became unimportant.
Another bright spot was the formidable tenor Yonghoon Lee. His booming, yet smooth voice rang through the hall, and boy did the audience respond with some well-deserved applause near the end. Mr. Lee was the ideal Don Jose. His demeanor was one of strength when it had to be, but he was effortlessly able to transfer into the body and mindset of a lover, desperate for reciprocation from Carmen. A prime example of this was the last portion in which he kills Carmen. He is able to regress from bitter disappointment to hopelessness in a matter of seconds, all noticeable from his body language. He kneels, and his head hangs loose, devoid of any self-control. At the end of this opera, the audience was able to feel the same anguish that Don Jose was feeling, which is an essential task to any performer. The fact that the audience was able to relate to his emotions was a great addition to the successful performance of Yonghoon Lee.
The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for soprano Anita Rachvelishvili, playing the title role. While there is not much to complain about, she did not provide the same “oomph” and enthusiasm as Lee and Royal. There come certain points in every performance where someone’s voice may waver, or come out louder than expected. In addition to some expected vocal issues, however, this portrayal of Carmen seemed a little too wild and powerful, not providing enough of the elegance and soft beauty that is expected from the role. An audience expects anyone portraying Carmen to have two sides: one wild and one soft and loving. While there were certain instances in which she seemed full of loving emotion, rage and clever antics were the staple characteristics of this specific performance.
The ups and downs of individuals did not take away from the grandeur of it all. The curtains open, revealing a glowing red light and passionate ballet dance follows. This occasional interjection of ballet is an insight to the sentiments being felt by Carmen and Don Jose. The performance started with a passionate ballet dance, and ended with the dead bull symbolizing the end of Carmen’s life at the end of Don Jose. The bull provided perspective, and placed the life of Carmen parallel to that of a bull. She was pulled in many different directions, primarily between her love interests Don Jose and Escamillo (baritone Tahu Rhodes).
Choreographer Chris Wheeldon does an exceptional job of utilizing the entire rotating edifice that is the cigarette factory. With kids weaving in and out of small corridors and good spacing, the depth of the stage was used very well.
Richard Eyre’s vision of Carmen was one of passion and symbolism. He was able to keep to the original meaning and maintain the original integrity of the play while adding small variations that added to the overall experience.
Before the Performance Began
Credit: Navtej S. Ahuja
A Magnificent Setup for a Lamentable End
The stage and orchestra were filled with talents for Georges Bizet’s famous opera, Carmen, in the Metropolitan Opera. Immediately the orchestra played a familiar melody from Habanera, drawing the audience into the play even before the actual performance began. The music was dynamic, eloquent and powerful, preparing us to witness the best of the best. If that wasn’t enough, a well-choreographed modern, sensually seductive dance (duet) interpreting the central theme of Carmen introduced us to the supposed masterpiece.
The Metropolitan Opera stage seemed like a castle as it rotated to the stage of Act I in Carmen. It was amazing to see how easily and efficiently the stage could transform in front of the audience. Not only the stage, the performers’ costumes were wonderfully designed, making them appeared as if they were really cigarette workers and officers back in the mid-19th century in Seville, France. The women wore dirty light clothes of grey and brown colors that looked similar to rags; the male workers wore jean overalls and a tainted t-shirt inside; the officers had fresh green uniforms and boots on, giving off a sense of high status and power in the cigarette factory; and finally Carmen, she had a flashy polka-dotted dress that was tied on the upper part. The dress was purple and obviously unique compared to the other cigarette girls. She stood out, but her costume was not glamorous either. The dress was also suitably dirty like the other cigarette girls, just more colorful.
Anita Rachevelishvili as Carmen. Photo credits to Marty Sohl from The Metropolitan Opera.
The costumes for Carmen certainly were appealing and fitting, but what would an opera be without singing? The first great solo was of course sung by the mezzo-soprano singer, Anita Rachevelishvili, who performed the flirtatious gypsy Carmen. She was magnificent in Act I, singing with emotions and seductiveness that dazzled the audience. After over two hours of singing, her voice seemed to have lost its vitality by Act IV. Rachevelishvili’s acting and role play was still top notched; however, her voice did not match up. It was weaker and much less pronounced than she was in Act I and II. In contrast, the softer and sweeter character Micaela, played by the soprano singer Kate Royal, performed her arias and acting splendidly throughout. Royal sang with a voiced that sounded natural to the situation she was in; her voice was shaken and scared when she was surrounded by the officers in Act I and jubilant in Act III in her sweet duet with Don Jose, played by the Korean tenor singer Yonghoon Lee. But the most prominent singer was certainly Don Jose. Lee did not lose grip of his vocals from the beginning to end. His duet Parle-Moi De Ma Mère with Royal in Act I was heartfelt; in the final moments of Act IV, the audience could feel the anguish and despair from his booming and powerful voice in the duet, “C’est toi? C’est moi!” The contrast from the vitality of Lee’s singing to the exhaustion in Rachevelishvili’s was too evident.
We went in to a spectacle but went out feeling almost defeated. The way Act IV’s ending was executed was major disappointment; it could even be called anti-climactic. The tensions were set from the beginning when Jose was imprisoned for aiding Carmen’s escape, which eventually led to Jose’s fall from grace as he ended up with a group of thieves but not with Carmen’s love. At this point in Act IV where Jose’s anger and jealousy was about to explode, the audience would be expecting an extraordinary modern interpretation of the famous scene–Carmen’s death. Our expectations, however, were returned with an insipid and tensionless scene as Carmen was stabbed to death by Don Jose. It might seem dramatic for Carmen to state “Kill me or let me go” without singing in an opera (it was the first time a line was not sang but simply spoken). But what happened to the climax? A bland declaration stated like that without the aesthetics of opera singing was like hitting a wall before leaving the climatic highway.
Don Jose (Yonghoon Lee) threatening the exhausted Carmen (Anita Rachevelishvili) with a knife. Photo credits to Ken Howard from The Metropolitan Opera.
Struggle for Power
The décor of The Metropolitan Opera sets a grand atmosphere for the opera it is presenting. From the size to the quality of acoustics in the theater, it is able to give the audience an authentic experience. Recently, they presented “Carmen,” a classic opera created by Georges Bizet in 1800s. When the opera was adapted, the directors emphasized a struggle between powers through the smooth, yet dramatic dance moves, and high-pitched yet powerful arias. Combined with the intricate details of the theater, the performance had the audience clinging onto every emotion and word, even though it was performed in French.
Met Opera House; credits to aliberalslibretto.com
Before each act, two ballerinas, Maria Kowroski and Eric Otto, are dancing in front of a red backdrop. Performed before Acts I and III, the intimate dance moves are setting the mood for the respective acts. The red background also serves as a tool to draw in the audience’s attention.
When Act I began, it became apparent who was the lead even if the viewer did not know the storyline. The voices of Carmen and Don Jose, sung by Anita Rachvelishvili and Yonghoon Lee, respectively, dominated others. When other soldiers were pursuing Carmen, their voices were noticeably softer and weaker than Carmen’s. The director seemed to have used the strength and weaknesses of the casts’ voices to underscore the plot and the overall dramatic effect. That is to say, those who could not win Carmen’s heart had weaker voices than Don Jose, whose voice rung in the theater and overpowered Carmen’s.
Carmen; credits to opera-britannia.com
Throughout the opera, the director constantly used this technique to depict the stronger character. Another instance was when Micaela, played by Kate Royal, wanted to take Don Jose away from the world of gypsies. A soprano, Micaela sang her aria with a sweet, high-pitched voice; this is paralleled to her thoughtful and loyal personality. On the other hand, Carmen, a weaker mezzo-soprano by Act III, still sounds fierce and more prominent.
Although the technique was useful in emphasizing the overall dramatic effect of the opera, the ending did not have the same positive effect. Though Carmen’s death was dramatic, it was also abrupt. It was almost as if someone had ended a song in the middle of an important verse. Yet again, the grandeur of the Metropolitan Opera may have set the standards too high, making this opera’s ending seem a lot weaker than it really is.
Theater Without Theatricality
As the lights in the theater dim, the audience’s eyes are drawn up to witness the extravagant crystal chandeliers rising in the air. The orchestra, with vigor and excitement, commences playing a well-known tune. In anticipation of a storyline as famous as the prelude itself, the audience expects to see characters that fully embody the tragic romance of Georges Bizet’s Carmen.
Unfortunately, not all of the actors at the Metropolitan Opera were able to meet the grandiose tower of expectations that stands over every rendition of this timeless classic.
As the curtain opens to the first act, the skeleton of an old cigarette factory rotates into view. Through the fence that stands before the lofty factory walls enters Micaela (played by Kate Royal). She asks the Spanish soldiers about Don Jose and the men lustfully encroach upon her. With a strong and commanding voice, the officer Morales (played by Trever Scheunemann) pleads for her to stay with them. As he extends his arms to caress her waist, Micaela continues to superficially sing her part without any indication of fear. Where her acting lacks believability, Royal makes up for it with her astounding soprano voice. Especially magical is the moment when Micaela and Don Jose (played by Yonghoon Lee) sing a duet about Don’s mother and village. With romantic yet subtle gestures, the pair sings in a manner that is incredibly sweet and heartwarming. Answering after each of Michaela’s dynamic and perfectly enunciated phrases, Don Jose uses his highly controlled voice to sing of his love for his home. The two coo like enamored doves and complete the scene with a gentle kiss.
Done Jose and Michaela.
Image provided by www.opera-britannia.com
Yonghoon Lee’s performance is characterized by powerful vocals and a commitment to his role, a combination that sets the bar high for the entire cast – including Anita Rachvelishvilli herself. The actress’ physical appearance coincides perfectly with that of her gypsy character Carmen. With her thick black curls swaying in the air and her dress tightly hugging her luscious figure, Carmen illustriously emerges from the opening in the stage. Though her presence initially demands overwhelming attention from both the surrounding characters and her audience, shortly her fellow actors are the only ones to remain entranced by her overly subtle movements. Playfully flinging water at the crazed soldiers and then gently caressing the surprised Don Jose, she seems more like a happy child than a seductive and authoritative woman. It seems as though Rachvelishvilli relies more on her appearance rather than her acting ability to create a believable character. It is these nuances that prevent the overall performance from reaching perfection. Carmen’s voice, contradicting her behavior, is grand and memorable, resonating within the theater.
Carmen
Image provided by www.berkshirefinearts.com
Though initially astounding, Carmen’s voice loses its magnitude during the course of the opera. During the middle of the second act, the heroin sings before the handsome bullfighter Escamillo (played by Kyle Ketelsen). Her voice wavers slightly and then gains volume and temerity with alarming speed, a change that extracts an immediate reaction from the smitten man. He proclaims his love to her, as it seems, because of her vocal improvement.
Like Carmen, the audience has reason to fall in and out of love with the production. With characters that are not as theatrical as one might expect, an emotional contagion seems to be missing. Still, Carmen continues to be a magnificent opera with its astounding acoustic qualities and dramatic storyline.
Passionate & Emotionally Diverse
Georges Bizet’s Carmen gave its audience a night full of intense drama and emotion. The play opened with the backdrop almost “tearing”; a red light spilling onto the stage. A shirtless, chiseled male appeared with a sultry young woman, and the two danced provocatively on stage. Their movements suggested a strong passionate relationship foreshadowing the future relationship of Carmen and Don Jose.
The opera’s actual plot began with the appearance of the timid Micaela resisting the unrestrained soldiers. The soldiers, having been confined with their own gender for so long, wanted Micaela to stay for some “fun”. The audience automatically sympathized with the young Micaela, and we all hoped for her safe escape. Here was the origin of the strong emotions exuded by the characters and the scenes.
Micaela’s exit transitions into a grand display of the “changing of the guard”. Here a dramatic, powerful tone resonates between the children and the soldiers. The children’s high-pitched voices blended with the soldier’s deep voices very well. The grand scene was one of the best of the night. The choreography was very well done and executed without any obvious mistakes.
Carmen appears in the middle of the “cigarette girls scene”. She makes an ostentatious appearance among the girls. Anita Rachvelishvili, the actress who played Carmen, appeared very flirtatious, and moved seductively around stopping at different men gathered around the cigarette girls. It was obvious she was not popular with the other cigarette girls. Her voice was good, but not excellent. She seemed to be overpowered by Micaela’s vocals in her earlier appearance. The romantic, sweet voices of the cigarette girls were contrasted with Carmen’s sultry voice and movements.
Carmen’s flower that she seemed to point at different men seemed to symbolize her latest love interest. Its scent was said to overpower even the most faithful man, and her “stabbing of Don Jose, seemed ominous and foreshadowing. The episode ended with the innocent Micaela entering and embracing Don Jose. Micaela’s innocence is juxtaposed with Carmen’s forwardness throughout the opera.
The elements of folk dance were particularly clear in the “Seguidilla”. The twirling of skirts and stomping of their boots created a spectacle of carefreeness that seemed to permeate the gypsy camp. The men flipped and spun the girls and the children imitated the toreador in a bullfight. The passionate impersonation of the bullfight mirrored Carmen and Don Jose’s relationship. As the bull, Carmen too is slain.
The destruction of Don Jose by Carmen takes place both emotionally and physically. He seems intensely weakened by her power, until he kills that which destroyed him, Carmen. Beethoven’s Fate Motif can be heard in the background as all of this takes place. As Don Jose takes off his military jacket to join the gypsy troupe, it symbolized his abandonment of duty and fidelity to Micaela. It is here that Don Jose is permanently changed. It is the point of no return.
The Opera’s music was excellent. The orchestra was brilliant, and their control of their sound level was exceptional. The music directly correlated with the scenes’ tones. The drawn out music during the times of mourning and the faster, lighter music mirrored both the scenes of despondency and frivolity.
The grand scenes in conjunction with the more intimate emotional episodes created a robust array of emotions for the opera’s audience.
Carmen: Story of Don Jose
Carmen is a beloved opera known worldwide for its music, its singing, and plot.
The most recent rendition featured Anita Rachvelishvili as the new Carmen. Her singing was spot on. From her mezzo-soprano voice, one can tell that she was someone with the ability of persuasion.
But Anita didn’t have the physical attractiveness of Carmen. We have the perception of Carmen as a sexy and promiscuous young female. Maybe that is society’s fault for setting these standards and also it is very rare for thin girls to be opera singers.
Starring as Don Jose was Yonghoon Lee. Some have called Carmen a tragedy, not because of Carmen’s fate, but because of Don Jose’s fall from grace. In the beginning of the opera, Don Jose is a successful military corporal with Micaela (Kate Royal) as his fiancé. As Carmen starts seducing him, Don Jose begins to tumble. Don Jose always had agency. He had the freedom to act on his own will. At times, Don Jose could’ve left Carmen and went back to his mom and fiancé. Instead, he decided on his free will to stay. Carmen’s seducing did play a role, but it was up to him to make a decision.
When the audience first meets Micaela, she is presented as the “good girl”. She goes to church, she visits her fiancé’s mom, and is innocent. This is complete opposite to Carmen who uses fortune cards, gets into fights, and is sinful. This “good girl” reveals her power in Act III. She was the only reason Don Jose decided to turn back and go him to his mother. It is true that her and Carmen are complete opposites. Carmen is now repelling Don Jose, while Micaela is attracting to Don Jose.
In this production, the props themselves represented something greater. The first was during the climax. When Don Jose decides to join Carmen, he takes off his military jacket to put on a different jacket that resembles that of a smuggler. The jacket is used to portray the identity of a person. When Don Jose took off his military jacket, he finally renounced his past. Before that, he was attracted to Carmen, but had agency. Now, with a new jacket, Don Jose is a new person who has given into his impulses and there is no turning back for him.
Another symbol were the lights themselves. Before every two acts, a dance ballet is performed. In the first one, a ballet is performed under red light. The color red has a connotation with love, blood, and passion. This was apparent with the first two acts where Carmen starts seducing Don Jose and Don Jose proclaiming his love toward Carmen. Before Act III, instead of the red light, there was a blue light. The color blue represents that of cooling, sadness, and calmness. This was shown in the last two acts where Carmen rejects Don Jose’s love.
The music was amazing. The orchestra did an amazing job to make the audience to feel that they were in Seville, Spain. There were no synchronization errors, but I believe that it was wrong for the music to stop playing before Carmen dies. With no music, the death seemed melodramatic. The music would’ve complemented the death scene by making it something that the entire audience has been waiting to see.
http://www.broadstreetreview.com/images/uploads/opera/Carmen-Alagna_kills_Garanca.jpg
Carmen: A Bull That is Yet to Be Tamed
In Spain, the men try to tame bulls. In New York’s Metropolitan Opera, they try to tame Carmen.
Built upon the fervent, feisty, cunning title character, Carmen is a three-hour-long opera that dives headfirst into the profound struggle between love and jealousy; manipulation and destiny. The Met’s revival of Georges Bizet’s 1875 production marks the merging of opera and theater, with the hefty, Georgian Anita Rachvelishvili as its centerpiece.
She makes her loud debut in Act I, when she first appears strutting out of a cigarette factory in Seville, Spain. Against the other factory girls—all thin and dainty and clad in mute earthy pastels—Ms. Rachvelishvili produces a sultry voice that flutters gracefully between the highs and lows, although far from clean and proper. It provides quite a contrast against the tender, pallid voice of Kate Royal, who plays Micaela, a peasant girl.
The environment captivates the audience as much as Rachvelishvili’s stage presence does. The walls, a glowing cerulean blue, and a circular arrangement of weathered arches gives the set a Mediterranean palette, which is an excellent visual supplement to the libretto, which is sung in French. The costumes of the soldiers (which, by the way marched in perfect unison in the beginning of Act 1), the townspeople and the buoyant crowd of children was a cluster of olive, khaki, and pale pastels. Although some blend in with the weathered arches, it allows for the eye to easily spot Carmen, even for someone sitting in the very last row of the house. In addition, the set opens and closes with a translucent red lightning bolt on a black background—a classy trademark.
One of the most powerful scenes in the performance unfolds when Carmen throws a rose at Don Jose (Yonghoon Lee), a corporal and Micaela’s beau. It serves as a foreshadowing of a strong theme: love kills. The drama heightens as Carmen’s voice is infiltrated with power and dignity, as she dominates Don Jose in this scene. Conductor Michele Mariotti coordinated a symphony that brought a trance to the swaying, almost hypnotized movements of the men surrounding Carmen.
Act II was anything but bland; here we are introduced to Escamillo the bullfighter. Kyle Ketelsen is poised and plays the part of Escamillo with duende; his voice takes on a rich, deeply vibrant texture, especially in Act II when he flirts with Carmen. His wiry bone structure paired with Carmen’s full-figure makes for an interesting dialogue in the chemistry of their body languages. Carmen reaches yet another high point when she performs the gypsy dance. Clad in a beautiful, Spanish bohemian-style skirt, she and other gypsies light up the stage with a sultry unified suave in their step. Although Carmen is the dominant figure in most of the first two acts, Don Jose rises up with an assertive, masculine resonance in his baritone voice; we see Carmen conveying intimidation as her voice settles down to a passive, yet rich alto. For a moment, the audience is swept away by the subtle fragility in Don Jose’s tone as he attempts to prove his love for Carmen, and again when he first discovers that his mother is dying.
Act IV, the last and shortest act is one that suggests a powerful metaphor: the bull. Although the set could have been represented more clearly as a bullfighting arena, it was nonetheless bustling with the collective energy of the actors. In this act, we see the steepest change in Don Jose, as his character goes from collected to passionate to desperate. The drama reaches its peak when Carmen’s foretold fate begins to unfold: her voice is shrill, movements striking and tense (appropriately) as she finally proves to Don Jose that she no longer loves him. The final scene, after a chilling (but not melodramatic) death scene, is a striking revelation of a fallen, powerful symbol. The stage is drenched in brilliant red lightthis scene, and then the curtain closes, leaving the audience with a gruesome image of jealousy.
“Carmen” runs through March 1 at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center; (212) 362-6000, metopera.org.
Metropolitan Opera’s Carmen
What seems to be a lightning bolt of glowing red light in the curtains sets the stage for a powerful opera ahead. A familiar dynamic orchestral piece preludes Metropolitan Opera’s version of Georges Bizet’s renowned Carmen. The curtains finally open up to show a pair of dancers embracing each other in their every step, conveying love, lust, and passion. Their dance sets off the mood of intimacy and seductiveness. Curtains closed and opened once more to show a cylindrical frame of a cigarette factory slowly rotating on the stage.
The story begins with sweet-voiced Michaela, played by Kate Royal, coming through the high fences lining the factory walls looking for her lover, Don Jose, played by Yonghoon Lee. Officer Morales, played by Trever Scheunemann, and the other Spanish soldiers who sing to balance Morales’ powerful and demanding voice, beseeched Michaela to stay for a while, for they will keep her company. When Michaela comes back to Don Jose, the two make a beautiful duet in both singing and acting, for they were able to convey their love and passion for each other physically and with complimentary vocals.
All the soldiers chant in unison and wonder on the whereabouts of the protagonist, Carmen, played by Anita Rachvelishvili, who enters the stage last from the factory, through the hole in the platform. Her flirtatious clothing stands out from that of all the other factory women. Her acting and voice is strongest in this act where she plays her role of a promiscuous Gypsy by flirting with every soldier as she sings the famous aria, Habanera, finally alluring Don Jose by smashing a rose into his chest and laughing it off. However, as the opera went on, it is evident Carmen became tired and slightly lost the vigor in her voice.
Yonghoon Lee, playing as Don Jose, did an amazing job throughout, having to convey his conflicted feelings of love, weighing between his hometown sweetheart, and this lustrous new girl. He abandons Michaela, goes against the will of his mother, drops his military duties, and becomes convinced he’s in love with Carmen to free her from jail landing him in prison. The violent intensity in his voice and his enthusiastic acting becomes difficult to compare with the voice of the glorious matador, Escamillo, played by Kyle Ketelson. Kyle Ketelson nails the infamous aria, Les Toreadors (Votre Toast) with the orchestra playing perfectly in the background.
The lights also played an enormous role in the advancement of the plot. As suspense slowly peaked with the orchestra’s aid to the opera’s climax, where Don Jose stabs Carmen in a rage of jealousy, the lights were the color of a daunting red, like blood, and the music came to a complete silence. The arena walls rotated to end the opera with a juxtaposition of Carmen’s death and the Escamillo’s victorious kill of the bull.
Almost a Classic
The Metropolitan Opera’s interpretation of Bizet’s “Carmen” sets the tone of lust and passion from the very beginning. The play opens with an intimate dance scene between a couple, with a dim red light and seductive movements. Their faces cannot be seen, so the viewer focuses on the movements of the eye-capturing dance and the outline of the dancer’s bodies as they perform their smooth choreography.
Photo Credits to Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
However, as act one begins, the acting is not believable and the opera loses that tone. When coming out of work, the cigarette girls merely sit there, and the soldiers stand and appear to talk amongst themselves. They do not act interested in each other and fail to carry on that passionate atmosphere that the opening dance scene created. But Carmen, played by mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili brings the act back to life. She sings her aria (Habanera) well, hitting all the notes with a colorful tone. She entices the soldiers, flashing her legs and moving her dress around, but still was not as flirtatious as expected from a Carmen.
Even with Rachvelishvili’s minimal flirting, she still mesmerizes Don Jose, played by tenor Yonghoon Lee, and convinces him to set her free after her arrest in the end of the first act. For the rest of the play, he is crazed and Lee’s acting matches this perfectly through his movements and emotion. In the second act, Lee’s singing (La fleur que tu m’avais jetee) outshines Carmen’s aria from the first act. He hits all notes and stays strong throughout the opera, while Carmen seems to fall off slightly at the end from a long performance. Even Micaela’s (played by soprano Kate Royal) singing of Je dis que rien outdoes Carmen’s singing. Micaela’s voice carried better and had a softer color, fitting the aria perfectly. It was however a challenge trying to follow the words of a song and the acting. Looking from translation to the far away stage made it difficult to follow the opera. Not being able to see facial expressions also took away from the acting and emotion.
Photo Credits to Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
The set of the opera throughout all four acts was very innovative and well made. The square in Seville looked realistic and the innovation involved with the rotation of the set surprised me. The door in the stage that the cigarette girls came out of and how the characters interacted with the rotating set was creative. The mountain set also was a nice touch, with rocks and dimmed lighting as well to mimic the nights in the mountains. How the actors interacted with the set by jumping on rocks or climbing up the steps of the mountain also added to the story.
Concluding with the fourth act, the acting came crashing down. Though the vocals were still shining, matched by a fantastic orchestra throughout the play, the acting was an anti-climax. Everything builds up tension to Carmen’s death, but her death was very badly portrayed. The act of stabbing her, along with her acting as if she was dying looked more like she was falling asleep. It was supposed to be a brutal, passionate murder of a lover, and the scene did not come close to that emotion due to Rachvelishvili’s acting. Not even Lee’s crazed emotion and madness could make the scene more realistic. This ending practically lost the entire emotion and flow of the opera. The fantastic orchestra, innovative set and the shining Yonghoon Lee could not make up for some unrealistic acting, fading vocals and could not bring the opera to a spectacular performance level.
Photo Credits to Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Emotion Through Dance
Fall for Dance, held at the New York City Center on W 55th Street, is in its 9th year of running. The October 2nd performance provided a diverse array of performances, including a traditional ballet, a southern, soulful duet, a powerful tribal ceremony, and an eastern European folk dance. Each of the four performances evoked emotions through movement.
The traditional ballet was by far the longest of the four. Many of the ballerinas appeared almost sickly, with slender arms and legs. They flew through the air and performed many spins and twirls while balanced on their toes. Their performance was graceful, elegant, and well choreographed. The one ballerino almost pranced around the stage, and completed every turn with fine precision. The entire piece induced a feeling of majesty and inspired a real appreciation for such exactitude and grace.
(Courtesy Metro News)
The shortest routine followed the first and longest. It contrasted with the seriousness of its predecessor, with a bluesy humor resonation. The performance could be described as slick, and took the audience back to the 60’s. The main dancer, who both sang and danced simultaneously, sang the witty lyrics strongly and with much intonation. Her song was almost a short story. Her strong expressive pitch induced feelings of the old south and a nostalgia for the past. Her co-performer, a male, was excellent in playing a background role in the performance. His lifts and assistance allowed the main dancer to successfully perform her routine.
The most unique performance centered on a sort of tribal re-enactment. The number utilized drums as an element of sound. The dancers also used the drums as a prop in their dancing. The piece began with a woman wailing center stage, in front of a drum. Additional members of the tribe joined her, and the wailing eventually transformed into a fierce, chaotic beating of drums. The women frantically shook their long hair back and forth. Their movements mirrored the beating of their drums. Their dancing was very powerful as was their strong drumming. This performance was very artistic and moving. The wailing invoked raw personal emotion and the piece’s primeval element was uniquely reverberating.
(Courtesy the New York Times)
The final performance brought the evening to an end on a happy note. The performance seemed to be in an eastern European style, perhaps Bavarian. The folk dance seemed very light and often humorous. Through the dancers faces, the audience could see that they were truly enjoying themselves. The group of male dancers was perhaps the most entertaining. They galloped around stage effortlessly, kicking their legs high in the air. Their costumes were reminiscent of old world Europe. They wore black boots and medieval clothing. The group of women, who seemed to outnumber the men, wore green skirts, white shirts, and bandanas. They appeared as gypsies. They used their skirts as props in their own dance steps, shaking them from side to side. The men and women took turns in the spotlight, but came together periodically and danced with each other. The number was very light and fun.
The range in dance routines provided a night of excellent entertainment, but it also allowed the audience to participate in the dancers’ own unique emotions.
Annual Fall for Dance Festival
On the evening of October 2nd, the New York City Center hosted its 9th annual Fall for Dance Festival. During the course of the night, four independent dance companies conducted their own individual performances. Each of these dances had its own unique style; however, some of them received better reactions from the audience than others.
Ballet West put on Grand Pas from Paquita, the opening act for the night. The Grand Pas from Paquita, a Russian ballet, was a perfect way to kick off the festival. Each of the ballerinas wore large tutus, which is the norm for ballerinas; however, their matching tutus were gold. Rex Tilton, the lead male of the performance, wore tight-fighting pants and an elaborate golden vest. His flashy gold vest seemed appropriate because his performance outshined the rest of the ballerinas. Tilton showed such emotion and passion, often bringing out the best in counterpart, Christiana Bennett. Throughout the performance, Tilton was required to lift her for extended periods of time, and he was able to do so with such elegance and composure. The music of this piece was quite soothing, and this performance ultimately set the bar high for the rest of the night.
Photo Credit: Luke Isley
In my opinion, the masterpiece of the festival was the second act performed by Tu Dance. High Heel Blues was an upbeat and riveting performance that received a large acclaim at its conclusion. Yusha Marie Sorzano, the lead female, expresses her dilemma of wanting to buy a pair of high-heeled shoes, even though they cause her pain. While there was not much choreography in this routine, Sorzano and her partner, Uri Sands, performed their roles very audaciously. Their powerful interactions grabbed the audience’s attention and would not relinquish their attentions, until their routine was over. My only criticism with this dance was the simplistic black dress that Yusha wore. I felt as though a more bold and daring costume could have been chosen to add to her role. Other than that, this duet left the audience yearning for more.
Tarian Malam (Night Dances), put on by Nan Jombang, could not have been placed at a more inopportune time. After such a lively duet, this company had big shoes to fill after the intermission. I felt as though the audience was not as prepared for this dance as it could have been. The dance starts off slow, as a duet, with very subtle movements. It had a very cultural feel to it; however, it took a while for it to reach its height. The dragging on of the performance made much of the audience develop negative opinions of it very early. When it finally picked up, rhythm was an essential element to its “recovery.” More people came onto the stage wearing tribal outfits. They were banging drums and various objects in complete unison. This dance developed its intensity over time, but the audience seemed to tune the performers out before it reached its height.
The finale of the night was the lively collection of dances, known as Moiseyev’s Classics. The Moiseyev Dance Company put on four short, energetic dances that were a thrill for the audience to watch. Much of their dancing consisted of various jumps, spins, and weaves between each other. Their execution was flawless, and one performer even completed an entire circle of jump-spins without faltering. The performers’ displayed their passions, and their vibrant costumes and the loud, playful music only aided to their energy. Their upbeat showing closed the Fall for Dance Festival on a high note.
Photo Credit: E.Masalkov
A Splash of Moving Color
As the doll-like ballerinas emerged onstage, dazzling rays of light hit the golden threadwork on their tutus. With ethereal elegance, their swift legs sped to the center of the stage and their thin arms, first brushing against the rigid skirts of their dresses, gracefully raised into the air in anticipation of music. A wave of identically brilliant smiles spilled over the faces of the ballerinas and they commenced dancing. Their demanding choreography, consisting of areal turns and high leaps, was executed with such vigor and precision that the movements seemed almost natural for them. Like the multitude of young characters in Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace that basked in their own expectations of love, the dancers in Ballet West seemed to be entranced by their own fairytale. Though each dancer performed splendidly, they were not as successful as a unit. When all thirteen dancers appeared onstage, it was evident that their legs did not rise to the same height and their elbows did not bend at the same angle. However, attention was pulled away from the asynchronous movements when a male dancer, with movements so subtle and effortless, seemingly flew onto the stage. His hands tenderly rested on the midriff of the forefront ballerina as she stood on point with one foot and held the other in a perfectly horizontal position.
Ballet West at 2012 Fall for Dance
Image provided by www.worldartstoday.com
This first dance, the Grand Pas, started the 2012 Fall For Dance program with a classical splendor. The dance to follow was much shorter, less formal, and surrounded the audience with an air of good humor. In the purple darkness that flooded the stage, a single dancer stood illuminated by a beam of yellow light. Another character shortly emerged from the darkness, and the two started to move about in a flirtatious yet energetic fashion. Dancing to High Heel Blues, the pair enacted a comedic story of a woman determined to buy a pair of painful high-heeled shoes. As the female character struggled to escape the grasp of the other, the movements of the two were completely different, yet they both coincided with the upbeat music. Once her reluctance passed, she joined to mirror his dance. In perfect unison, the two would use their incredible agility to leap and glide to the blues.
Absorbing the energy from the dance, the audience was certainly not prepared for the melancholy act to follow. With a simple red dress hugging her body and hair draped over her bent head, a woman stood center stage before a large drum. She released a bone-chilling cry that initiated the Tarian Malam (Night Dances). Several other dancers joined her, all moving about frantically to recreate a moment of catastrophe that befell upon their native Indonesia in 2009. As they hovered around the drums, they stamped their feet and clapped their hands to produce sounds. Red light beat onto the spinning heads of the woman as they shouted war cries and mechanically beat their hands against the drums. Observing their combination of marital arts and spiritual movements was a sensational, if not confusing, experience. Although each slam of the hand, jump into the air, and rotation of the body was well timed and precise, the sum of all motion did not amount to a greater picture. The performance was unpleasantly repetitive and difficult to comprehend.
Nan Jombang at 2012 Fall for Dance
Image provided by www.criticalmassblog.net
The final segment of the performance was a combination of ethnic dances. Ranging from the Tatars of the Crimea to the Bessarabia Gypsies, the dances were performed with enthusiasm and energy. Yet they remained just that: dances. There was no story behind the movement, no hidden meaning behind the smiles of the dancers. Regardless, they all created an amusing display, as their sea of vibrant costumes moved in immaculate harmony.
Many Small Messages, One Giant Success
Whether it was the elegance of the ballet in the first act, the comedic realism of High Heel Blues, or the methodical yet aggressive stop and go portrayal of “Luminous” by the Hong Kong Ballet, this year’s Fall for Dance was technically sound and emotionally powerful.
Each dance was representative of very specific emotions and attitudes, which ranged from cultured and dignified to loose and fun.
Adam Sklute provided the audience with an absolutely outstanding ballet performance, Grand Pas from Paquita. The stage was reminiscient of a bright sunny day, where one might hear birds chirping along with a cool breeze that swayed the dancers.The organization of the performance, with the rotation of attention placed on each dancer, allowed the audience to enjoy the natural talents of each of the performers. Because each of the dancers, fluttering in their pink tutus and shimmering tiaras, had the stage all to themselves for a brief minute or so, the pressure was on for one to be better than the last. These solo routines left the audience in awe. One dancer who stood out far above the others was Sayaka Ohtaki. Near the end of the line full of talented performers, Ohtaki provided the routine with just the spark it needed at that time. Her form was unwavering yet fluid, and the smile on her face seemed to reflect off of the equally jovial audience. The audience held it’s collective breath as she soared diagonally across the stage during her grande jetés, moving seamlessly with the music. She received a fully deserved roaring applause as she bowed at the end.
High Heel Blues exemplifies the truth of human nature in a quick five or so minutes, contrasting the proper and formal ballet of the act before. When people are torn between whether or not they want something, they tend to rely on advice from others. Ms. Sorzano constantly repeats how she wants those high heel shoes, but her inner conflict is “resolved” by the very convincing shoe salesman, who exploits her desire to his advantage. The effortless transitions in the dance directly opposed the tense, difficult mindset of the woman, and her emotions were literally and figuratively put in the spotlight, as she and the salesman were the only people or objects visible on stage. Both the dancers moved flawlessly, providing a visual parallel to the smooth sound of the blues. Received with much humor and enthusiasm, this performance provided a great transition into the intermission, ending the first half of the show on a light note.
Nan Jombang takes the audience across the world in a dance inspired by the earthquake that shook Southeast Asia in 2009 with his Tarian Malan (Night Dances). This was made clear right in the beginning, as a woman wailed, her cries piercing through the air. The slow moving steps along with deep resonating sounds of the percussion shook the audience, just as they must have shaken the victims of Indonesia. Though it may have seemed a little too slow, it is important for viewers to realize the meaning behind it and the graveness of the situation. The beating of their stomachs provided a base beat resembling the rumbling of the earth, as it occurred right in the middle of the performance. This element seemed to heighten the intensity of an already serious dance tenfold. Certain dance steps such as the female dancers jerking their heads back and forth portrayed an image of the actual reverberations felt from the earthquake. This dance, though a little more difficult to interpret for the audience, was still executed to perfection and received a reaction it deserved.
Moiseyev’s Classics became an instant hit with the crown. With four different dances, all depicting Russian folk culture of the mid- twentieth century, the upbeat tempo and athleticism of the performers was the perfect way to end this showcase of talent. Every performer was emitting a full blast of energy and some of the audience could be seen dancing along with the music, especially during Kalmyk Dance, performed by three very talented of the Moiseyev Dance Company. The one aspect of this performance that separated it from the others was the costumes of the dancers. They wore customary Russian clothing: the women with plain blouses with scarfs on their heads and dark colorful skirts, and the men wearing mostly dark long tops with black pants. Judging by how this dance invigorated the audience after the rather mournful sentiment of Tarian Malan, it offered an exciting finish to Fall For Dance.
Fall For Dance proved to be a noteworthy collection of four very different dances, each conveying a different message, did not fall short of expectations one bit. It is definitely worth a watch, and with the price of $15, maybe multiple watches!
Practice Makes Perfect: A Snapshot of a Rehearsal for Kalmyk Dance
Credit: thebestofrussia.ru/ Eugene Masalkov
Falling for Dance
Since 2004, the New York City Center has been educating New Yorkers on the art of dance. Fall for Dance is a great show that helps expose individuals to a great way of properly understanding the various facets of this form of art. Every year the show incorporates new works into their show and it makes for a great experience. It acts as a great introductory to the different dance forms and categories, which is especially necessary with today’s fast-paced generation.
While squeezing through the tight aisles to get to our seats, what really caught my eye was the stage. Having been to the New York City Center prior to the event, this time, I felt as if I was in a whole new theatre.
Credits to Metronews
The first exhibition was from Ballet West, directed by Adam Sklute. This particular dance was called “Grand Pas From Paquita.” Paquita is a Russian ballet in two acts and three scenes, founded in the mid 19th century to help shed light on Russian ballerinas. The Ballet West did a great job of carrying on the tradition. Their choreography involved a constant flow of smooth movement that was left undisturbed. All the dancers were in sync and able to follow each other flawlessly. Their costumes were appropriate for their dance and blended right into the atmosphere of the theatre.
The second act was called the “High Heel Blues” brought to us by the Tu Dance Company and directed by Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands. This was, without a doubt, my favorite performance of the night. The dance added an aspect of humor to the show and was greatly refreshing. The darker colors worked perfectly with the general theme, with the black clothes from the dancers to the purple light being cast on stage. As the only dance to provide a voice and words with the movement, it proved as a great way to introduce a generation like mine to the arts. Although the voice was off stage, the dancers did a magnificent job of following the lyrics and guiding the audience through the meaning of the production.
The Nan Jombang dance company, along with their director Ery Mefri, had me wondering if I was in a dance show or a roller coaster. There were moments when I felt I was in the presence of true art and there were moments when I considered walking out. Their piece, “Tarian Malam,” (also called Night Dances) was created just a few months prior to Fall for Dance and came from the group’s Indonesian roots. It started out with a woman of Asian descent almost crying on stage. The depth of her voice conveyed sorrow throughout the theatre. The use of weary orange clothes helped reinforce the idea of humility in the dance, along with Asian influences. Then Mefri made the use of live instruments and even music from the dancers tapping their own bodies. The dancers were jumping over each other to get to the next instrument and the rush in their movement made the production very invigorating, as if it were displaying acrobatics. It was great for someone of my generation, who is used to a more fast-paced form of dance. However, Mefri had the show going with infrequent breaks of silence and additional sorrow from the dancers. For someone relatively new to dance like myself, it was a pleasant experience, interrupted by many unpleasant halts.
Credits to Suite of Moldavian Dance
The final dance was “Moiseyev’s Classics,” by the Moiseyev Dance Company. Director Elena Shcherbakova wonderfully ended the show on an artistically playful note. She decided to focus on the dance of the Kalmyks, the Tartars, the Bessarabians, and the Moldavians. The Kalmyks danced to show their connection to animals, however, that was very difficult to infer from Shcherbakova’s work. The Tartars danced to show life in a small village, which through the dance was easily detected. The Bessarabians wanted to convey a tension between men and women through dance and Shcherbakova did a great job of recreating that on stage. The costumes were far more colorful than the previous performances and helped to keep the production playful and energizing. The final Moldavian dance successfully portrayed the Moldavian folk dance with the dancers forming a “boisterous round dance.”
Fall for Dance is a show that is a great stepping-stone for those willing to get exposed and educated in dance. It provides many elements that keep a fast-paced New Yorker generation like mine interested and simultaneously instills new information in us about the arts. I plan to be there next year as well.
A Blast of Ups and Downs
Set in a grandioso, classically constructed theater, Fall For Dance at the New York City Center blast started the night with an elegant ballet dance performance, Grand Pas from Paquita by Ballet West. The lively music and harmonious dancing for the opening spectacle gave the impression that the following three performances would be of equal or even greater caliber. Such an impression might very well be the downfall for the most of the subsequent performances.
The ballet dancers wore sparking dresses, radiating with golden colors from the lightings as if their joy and liveliness were painted on their clothing. As the dancers tip-toed and swirled across the stage to coordinated positions, four to each side and five in center, it looked as if they were birds dancing. Christiana Bennett, the lead dancer, meanwhile took fast twirls, kicks and spins with her partner, Rex Tilton, assisting her. Their large midair spins were especially impressive. Miss Bennett was able to maintain elegant spins without pauses or assist from Mr. Tilton for at least ten seconds. But Mr. Tilton revealed equal magnitude of confidence, spirit and strength as he took large twirling leaps on tip-toes across and around the stage. As a whole, the ballet dancers created a majestic stage, dancing swiftly and smoothly to the melodies being played.
Photo Credits to: Andrea Mohin from The New York Times
TU Dance’s High Heel Blues performance that followed the traditional 19th century ballet was a modern freestyle and playful dance. The contrast was sharp, perhaps too sharp. The duet dancers, Yusha Marie Sorzano and Uri Sands were good but not impressive. Their movements were very well coordinated and had synchronized with the audio (song) well. However, the entertainment factor seemed to be centered on the lyrics of the song rather than the actual dancing. The audiences giggled during parts of the lyrics as Miss Sorzano’s legs moved in sync with the content of the lyrics. But to those of us who had expected or wished for a different yet just as vigorous of a dance as the previous Grand Pas from Paquita dances, we were disappointed. High Heel Blues had failed to maintain that level of energy left by Ballet West dancers and bored those who had expected more.
An even more painful contrast following the whimsical duet of TU Dance was Nan Jombang Dance Company’s Tarian Malan (Night Dances). It had a very serious plot to their dance, narrating an “earthquake that struck [Indonesia] in 2009” (New York City Center Playbill). The dancers’ red overall costumes well reflected their roles as martial artists in Indonesia and as traditional dancers. And, their decision to portray that tragedy with silence was effective – if only it was not after a dry and light-hearted performance such as High Heel Blues. The slow, crawling movements offered by the dancers paired with the silence as she mourned could let the audiences’ minds wander elsewhere if not put them to sleep. When the slow movements suddenly shifted into rapid leaps and fast drumming that boomed the theater, we would expect it to escalate to a climax. But it soon ended and silence returned. The dance continued with the same pattern throughout its entirety. As tragic and dramatic as the event might be, the performance did not explicitly deliver that feeling and emotion to the audience.
After two dissatisfying performances, there were still hopes but the expectations were very low for the last dance, Moiseyev’s Classics by Moiseyev Dance Company, which included four dances: 1) Kalmyk Dance, 2) Tatarotchka, 3) Dance of Bessarabia Gypsies, and 4) Suite of Moldavian Dances. But what a pleasant surprise! Three jolly male dancers wearing refined overalls jumped out and began a very fast-paced dance filled with hops, leaps and hand swings. Their footwork was impressive. Although they move quickly, tapping their feet vibrantly on the ground, they looked relaxed and as if they were having a great time. The jolly melodies being played further enhanced the overall effect of the Kalmyk Dance, making the three dancers’ movement felt natural and exultant. The other three dances in Moiseyev’s Classics were equally splendid. The ladies wearing long dresses and flowery blouses, all with very bright colors, danced joyfully alongside the gentlemen who looked like town folks in unity, forming two large circles where one was inside the other. Together with the upbeat music, a jolly, dancing craze was created on stage, drawing the audiences to the tip of their seats. With the addition of stage lights and glittering dresses, the stage seemed to be lifted into a festival. Twirling, spinning, circling in and out, and jumping up and down, the dancers ended our night with a blast of enthusiasm, spirit and fun, just like how Grand Pas from Paquita began.
Photo Credits to: Andrea Mohin from The New York Times
Photo Credits to: Andrea Mohin from The New York Times
In dancing, nothing leaves more of an impression to the audience than the energy that its dancers bring. The Fall For Dance experience and its diversity of dances were certainly there. However, if the order of the performances were changed, our delight might just improve.
A Season of Dance
This fall, Fall For Dance Festival is back again for its ninth annual year. Like always, the festival provides a unique and varied amount of culture and dance techniques.
Ballet West was up first as they danced the Grand Pas from Paquita. The dance was lively as the dancers moved with the perfect combination of strength and elegance. Their shiny costumes, glimmering tiaras, and bright cheery smiles all helped to portray happiness throughout their whole performance. Though at times repetitive, the arrangement of solo dances and group dances demonstrated each dancers individual ability as well as their intricate coordination to an extent that made my jaw drop in awe as I ponder on how hard it is to perform these moves continuously. The male lead was able to portray his masculinity effectively to remind us that ballet is not limited to girls. Overall, this was a great way to start the night off as the music had strong beats to invigorate the audience.
Tu Dance was up next as they danced the High Heel Blues. It was a complete change of pace. For starters, the stage was no longer filled with lights. It was dark and my focus immediately changed to the sound. The music was perhaps the most important element here as it tells a story about purchasing a pair of high heels. It was a comical jazzy song that added pounds of attitude to the already interesting dance which focused on a couple. The sleek and sexy movements and their silhouettes put together an alluring dance that was sensual and playful at the same time. This was by far my favorite performance of the night due to the interesting dance moves and the incorporation of the hilarious song.
The next performance still leaves me scratching my head. Nan Jombang performed Tarian Malam for us next. Perhaps Tu Dance’s performance was so enjoyable that made me expect more from this performance. It still leaves me scratching my head. It wasn’t that it was bad but it just took way too long to build up. At one point, an aura of silence plagued the stage. Eerie screams from the female dancer made me wonder just where this was going. After what seemed like ten minutes, the action finally began as the dancers and drummers moved around like acrobats. The beats quickened as intensity finally built up to a point where the audience was finally paying attention. However, due to dragging out the dance, the intensity became commonplace and the levels of potency began to drop. This performance definitely remains in my mind for the wrong reasons, although I did find their traditional clothing and incorporation of instruments as part of the dance pleasing to the eye.
The final dance quickly helped to alleviate the drought of energy drained by the previous dance. Moiseyev Dance Company quickly livened up the stage and audience with moves that were exhilarating and left behind a good laugh. The whole audience laughed and the comedic vibes the male dancers sent off. This final dance focused on group dances and the blends of color. This created a dance that was pleasing to the eye. It was definitely a great way to end the night as their smiles and cheeriness sent the audience off with energy and the desire for more.
It was a wise choice to begin with the traditional and familiar dance of ballet. It was also a great choice to end with a lively dance that made up for the downfalls of the previous dance. The highlight of the night definitely goes to Tu Dance as it was unique, different, and somewhat contemporary. Overall, the night was interesting enough to receive my praise for an excellent variety of dances.
In Unison
At the New York City Center, the Fall for Dance Festival comprised of various forms of dancing that appears to be forming one theme: unity.
The first form was Ballet West, which was expected to appear on stage. The peaceful, rhythmic music carried the girls from one side of the stage to the other, as they formed semi-circle after semi-circle. There was a smooth pattern in their adagio choreography. That is, until fast-paced music filled the theater. Unable to synchronize, the ballerinas’ legs formed waves on the stage: one ballerina was kicking up as another was coming down. However, the principals were able to overshadow this through their swift, graceful movements. Eventually, all mistakes were forgiven when the male principal performed a series of fouette turns. Their emotions lie in the controlled body movements and precision, as the music complemented one sauté after another as it lifted ballerinas in unison.
Juxtaposing ballet to modern dance, High Heel Blues, the sequence of this event portrays an element of spontaneity. The singing made it easier for the audience to understand the humor behind the female dancer’s love for shoes. The quick, then slow, movements of the body seemed to control the flow of their emotions, as the female dancer crept along the platform in front of the male dancer, and artistic director, Uri Sands.
The Night Dances piece is different from the others in that it casts off a gloomy feeling into the audience. The performers, dressed in red, drummed a rhythmic tune that echoed in the air with precision. The banging of their drums may have been able to rid the air of fear, keeping their emotions under control. “Red” may have symbolized the blood that spilled into the air along with the notes. This dance was based on the emotions of people who were affected by the earthquake in Indonesia in 2009. The circles they formed on stage were a representation of unity at times of grief.
Nan-Jombang, picture credits to worldartstoday.com
The final set of folk dances of the night was a combination of Russian pieces, collectively named Moiseyev’s Classics. Each dance was a depiction of their lifestyles in different places of Russia. Their gypsies’ dances differed in terms of music. Some were fast-paced while others were slow and elegant. However, there was a connection between each style of dancing. Every performer wore a colorful costume, plastered smiles and moved in unison on stage.
Moiseyev Dance Company in “Suite of Moldavian Dances.” Photograph by E.Masalkov
This idea of unity connects the various forms of dances into one event. Different genres, whether it is folk dance, modern dance or ballet, emphasize the importance of unity as a form of power. These dances are powerful because dancers moved in unison to convey each emotion.
Fall For Dance
Four different acts, four different styles. The overall performance of Fall For Dance, starting with Ballet West, High Heel Blues, Tarian Malam, and finally Moiseyev’s Classics, was sensational. However, some acts surmounted others with applauses grander than the Grand Canyon.
To start us off with Ballet West, thirteen ballerinas moved nimbly onto the stage. In fact, they were moving so quickly that their movements were somewhat unprofessional – staggering, with one dancer falling behind another by a second’s progression. Their costumes were flouncy and bright, supporting the euphoric mood set by the music. Two more ballet dancers, one male and one female, royally made their way into the center of attention. The danseur moved powerfully and strikingly compared to the ballerina who moved lightly and gracefully across the stage.
The music converts from cheery to jazzy, sassy, and somewhat unpredictable, just like the movements of the dancer. The story behind the dance of High Heel Blues tells of a woman who is deeply in love with a pair of high heels and a salesman who helps and supports her to satisfaction. As the music of this dance suggests, the dance was not as airy and light as the first act. There were many whimsical gestures. The woman’s voice was powerful and very confident. The lyrics of the song were remarkable and playful, breaking the audience into giggles, snickers, and laughs.
Silence. The third act was introduced with a moment of silence. The beginning of Tarian Malam was so quiet that all the coughs and sneezes that were previously concealed by the melodies suddenly became unheeded. The audience began fidgeting in their seats. The drums broke the awkward atmosphere and as the act progressed, the dancers in their monk robes became increasingly more violent in terms of movements; they furiously played on their drums and passionately moved their heads and bodies with the music.
To end the show with more energy than the last, the four sets of dancers of Moiseyev’s Classics came prancing on stage. As opposed to the dancers of Ballet West, the dancers of this last act was very in-sync and even with their tap shoes on, not one extra click was heard between uniform clacks. There were so many different variations in movements in the dance – some moving left to right, some moving right to left, some moving into a circle, and some moving out. The music, costumes, and energy of the dancers truly mesmerized the audience, even those who were sent daydreaming in the last act.
Fall For Dance collaborates a variety of different dances to introduce their audience to learn and love. Although each of these dances are very different in terms of music and movement, there comes the universal language of dancing that can easily be valued and interpreted by anyone.
The Annual Fall for Dance Festival
The New York City Center was packed for the annual Fall for Dance Festival, and rightly so, the crowd was ready to see serious skill. There were four very, very different performances that were put on. They ranged from traditional ballet to passionate reflections on natural disaster. I found some of them better than others.
The first of the bunch was the traditional ballet courtesy of Ballet West. There were plenty of girls who began the dance and exhibited great skill in the delicate art of ballet. The bodies of the women seemed to have poles in them, the ‘lines’ that the dancers made with their bodies were straight and rather impressive. It seemed as though the dancer’s arms and legs were connected and straight as an arrow. The muscles of the women were defined through their tights showing years of punishment to their bodies. It is necessary to be strong though, without strength the dancers would physically not be able to perform. The strongest of the group was the male dancer though, his name being Rex Tilton.
Courtesy of the NYC Center
He jumped, and I would have swore that gravity was turned down. The man was airborne for much longer than any average man can be. It was simply awesome to watch him fly around the stage. The other dancers that surrounded the duo were good, but they seemed like a simple background to the action of the man and his woman. They moved less and in different ways than the couple, which distanced them from the passion. Passion was a recurring theme in the whole festival for it has endless possibilities. The passion of the festival was not limited to just love though; you can be passionate about shoes too. Right?
The second dance was just that, the struggle of answering, what may be, the most impossible question of a young lady’s life. The question being, ‘should I get those shoes or not?’ The dance was full of jazz and blues, almost as if to say ‘if I don’t get the shoes, then I will be a sad excuse for a person.’ The kicker is that the shoes didn’t even fit her, she just liked them and of course the salesman is going to push to woman to buy them. Those salesmen are the worst, aren’t they? The whole second performance just seemed like real life and it was executed great, the crowd loved it. The third performance was a little less loved though.
The third act began quiet… too quiet. (Sorry I always wanted to say that.) During the quietness, the wonderful sound of sneezes, coughs, and cell phones were echoed throughout the near perfect acoustics of the NYC Center. It detracted from the performance, as the feeling of being transported to a place of rich culture and emotion was lost. Hearty sneezes do tend to have that effect of killing seriousness, especially when it’s supposed to be quiet. Now after the quiet parts, the action picked up and stole everyone’s attention back. The furious beatings of drums and the dancers even used their own costumes as some sort of percussion instrument. It was a nice wake-up call. The wake-up call shone through into the next performance, which was a Russian gypsy piece.
I personally thought it was a light-hearted performance that was meant to keep you smiling. The weird movements of the men on stage led to more than a few heavy outbursts of laughter. Now I am not sure if they were laughing at or with the dancers but it seemed to be the former. The dancers had cheery expressions on their faces and the dance was fast paced and exciting.
Courtesy of the New York City Center
If I had to rank the performances from favorite to least favorite, then I would choose ‘High Heel Blues,’ ‘Tarian Malam (Night Dances), then the gypsy dance and last but not least, the ballet. (I guess I’m just not the ballet type.)
Falling for Dance
“Did you Fall for Dance?” the playbill says loud and clear at the top. I’d say yes, I have. The ninth annual Fall for Dance Festival showcased five unique programs, an interesting mix of modernized cultural dances by companies from all around the world: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, The Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Russia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The show started with lively music entertained by glittery ballerinas twirling across the stage like stars across the sky. Although the beautiful movements blended well with the composition of the music, the group choreography was very repetitive and without a storyline. I was able to predict the next step. The ballerinas of Grand Pas From Paquita were not in sync, which became very distracting from enjoying the show. As a group, they lost synchronization with the music. The power and the emotions conveyed from the music was not the same way as the sensations conveyed in their dance. Though the opening performance started off disappointing, the ballerinas progressively showed improvement in their dance as the music slowed down and their dance steps were lighter. The solos were much more exciting and received much more applause from the audience. One particular dancer thrilled the audience with her leaping entrance and graceful steps. The male dancers harmoniously danced about the stage to the beat of the music.
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Curtains closed and opened to a unique, amazingly choreographed, and humorously done, High Heel Blues. Although outfitting in non-traditional ballet attire, the two dancers, one male, one female, pranced around delicately barefoot and on their toes expressing the story sang in the blues song playing. The audience responded with laughter and smiles. If a performance causes a change in the audience’s emotions, then it is a good performance.
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The third performance, Tarian Malam, was weak; the suspense it could have made with the sluggish movements and silence seemed to take forever until there were finally some drum hitting and energy in the dancers. The costumes were interesting though. The theme was clearly red; the lighting had matched their bright fiery clothing. When they did begin to move to the beat, there were a lot of head shaking, and their hair was flying, which emphasized on energy. Only for a few minutes of energy until they died down to slow steps again. It was clear the performance confused the audience when numerous individuals began to pay more attention to themselves and could not help but let out a cough. Its brief description explains that this showpiece is a contemporary narrative about the earthquake that struck in 2009, but it was very difficult to feel the same emotions through the performance.
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The concluding performances were a wonderful mix of faster-paced dancing, which brought the audience’s mood back up again. The Russian collection, Moiseyev’s Classics, caused “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” to echo the theater. The Dance of Bessarabia Gypsies was very festive with their decorated and colorful dresses. The men dancing in Tatarotchka amused the audience with their shoulder dances and quick feet.
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Fall for Dance left a wonderful impression of contemporary dance. Will you fall for dance?
United they stand, divided they Fall…for Dance
This year was the ninth annual Fall for Dance festival. As always, it showed a variety of dances. Each dance had its own distinctive taste and nuances.
The first dance looked like a fairy tale between a princess and her prince. It was performed in the classical style. One issue that caught my eye was the other performers besides the prince and princess. It was a quantitative, not a qualitative, issue. There were thirteen of them. The number “13” always had a bad connotation. Maybe the choreographer didn’t notice it, but after counting them, I thought that it was going to be a not pleasant ending. Instead, the ending showed the both of them together, happy, and strong.
The second dance was a seduction piece between a woman and a salesperson that deals with shoes. The dance movements seemed modern, but they were powerful. The piece itself was shorter in comparison to the first piece, but it was very explicit. There was no guessing on what the piece may be about. There is a new expression that defines shoes (not diamonds) as a girl’s best friend. Logically, the best way to win over a girl is through shoes.
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The third dance seemed like an East Asian indigenous ritual. The movements were slow. At times, they were too slow and worn out. For five minutes, someone could hear a sea of coughs and iPhone ringtones. After their movements were done, the drums came. It seemed as a relief to the audience. Finally, there would be something dynamic. I thought the drums would change the aspect of the piece. Instead, it was worn out. The beats all sounded the same. It was very redundant and made me yearn for the piece to end.
The fourth and final dance was that of the gypsies in Southern Russia. The piece was performed in a gypsy dance. There were lots of shaking of the body by both of men and women. As someone who has seen a Russian gypsy dance before, there was something missing. It was the singing! When they sing, they don’t sing in Russian. It is a different language. It has certain sound of magic and mystery in it, which drew me in the first time I heard it. The dance performance was on key, but the singing would’ve made it better.
Another issue with the performance was the romanticizing of the gypsy culture. The dance represented the ideal gypsy life with people dancing. In reality, many of the gypsies are in poverty and they were prosecuted. In addition, I imagined the piece to be set around the Volga River. People who worked near the Volga River faced terrible working conditions. They needed to pull ships against the current on the Volga River. Many men and women died trying to pull the ships. It would’ve been interesting to see if there could’ve been an incorporation of the tough lives they faced. It would’ve provided a so called “reality check”.
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“Barge Haulers on the Volga” by Ilya Repin
Looking at each part, some dances were better than other. Looking at the whole, Fall for Dance succeeded at what it does best: to show the audience different styles of dance.
Falling For Fall for Dance
The Fall for Dance performance gave viewers an appealing, varied display of different dancing techniques and styles. Who doesn’t love variety? The performance was divided into four distinct acts, and although an overall entertaining performance, some acts were more successful than others in dazzling the audience.
Ballet West put on the first dance, Grand Pas from Paquita. The performers all had bright smiles to match their shining, golden and majestic wear. Everything reflected a happy and uplifting tone. It was set up on stage with a lead couple, surrounded by many background women dancers that complimented them. They moved gracefully with lifts and turns, capturing the audience’s attention. The lead male was energetic which slightly contrasted the lady’s elegance. The music was traditional ballet music, nothing surprising, but it was a long performance. However the elegance of the performance managed to carry it on decently, keeping me from drifting.
Photo Credits to Luke Isley
Following the traditional ballet was a complete change of key. “High Heel Blues,” performed by Tu Dance was a short, but refreshing duet. Jazzy and playful, the dance told the story of a woman wanting to buy a pair of high heel shoes, even though it isn’t the best for her. But the background music carries the dance on so well, involving vocals about the high heel shoes, giving the dance even more attitude than the choreography did. Their movements were not as graceful as the first ballet, but still involved lifts and more modern dance: some walking like motions and a smoother, cooler movement. This couple was much more intimate with one another than the ballet couple was. The woman wore a sleek black dress and the man’s clothes highlighted his muscle tone. The lights were dimmed so the audience could focus on the movement and the outlines of the dancers’ bodies. Everything in the dance contributed to attitude and jazz, making this a successful way to lead into intermission leaving the audience wanting more.
Photo Credits to Ingrid Werthmann
The next act added some Southeast Asian culture to the mix. Nan Jombang performed “Tarian Malam” (Night Dances). It filled the theater with an eerie atmosphere, created by slow movements and the sound of women’s cries. The performance started off very slow, too slow and dragged out, and even had one very long silent pause to add to that effect. With time standing still, not even the beating drums could pull someone out of this trance. The dancers wore traditional monk garb and the men were bare-chested. As the dance progressed however, the momentum did carry. Drumbeats got faster and more intense and the dancers’ movements came to life. They were wildly jumping from drum to drum, pounding on them and their bodies, changing the eerie feeling to one of sorrow and mourning. This dance is in reaction to an Earthquake that struck Indonesia in 2009. The message of intense sorrow that the dancers gave off was fitting. However, even with the picked up momentum and emotion in the end, nothing could save the dance from the standstill beginning.
Photo Credits to Kenji Takigami/Asia Society
The final performance was a lively one with tons of energy. Moiseyev Dance Company put on Moiseyev’s Classics, a combination of four dances. The opening act involved three men in black pants and coats dancing and moving with great excitement, setting the tone for the rest of the act. Next, men hopped around the stage, making great leaps and sustaining their energy throughout the performance. Following were gypsies in colorful and bright clothes, moving suggestively. The final dance displayed a huge circle of dancers, with some expertly weaving in and out of the circle. They wore very bright costumes, all of which looked very European. Their smiles and vitality made this dance a fantastic way to close the whole show.
Photo Credits to E.Masalkov
A Very Interesting and Brave Combination of Styles
Every year during September and October, as a celebration for the Fall for Dance Festival, many dance companies arrive at the Big Apple to have their seasons in the New York City Center. This time, like the past eight years, the festival consisted of several performances on various days, inviting numerous dancers to carry out their talents on stage. There were four very different acts in the October 2nd presentation. Let’s just say, this show included the very classic, the very best, the very confused and the very diverse.
A very traditional ballet, Grand Pas From Paquita, was the classic. For an opening, however, the ballerina, Christiana Bennett, was not a great choice. Though correcting herself alone the way, she missed the rhythm of the music at the beginning. On the other hand, Rex Tilton, the Danseur Noble, strongly contrasted himself from Ms. Bennett, was very supportive and eventually stood out as a very talented dancer. The couple was missing their parts at first, but then slowly catch on and show their coordination from the practice.
The High Heel Blues, a simple, but playful modern dance by Tu-Dance, illustrated the mini-story of a woman wanting to buy high heels from a salesman, even though those shoes didn’t fit. The dancers, Yusha Sorzano and Uri Sands, brilliantly demonstrated with their gestures the duet between the indecisive woman and the smooth talker, in which the characters going forth and back while the dancers choreographed accordingly. The background music High Heel Blues by Tuck and Patti won the audience’s amusement. Very jazzy and yet with a tone of serious (guess she really want those shoes!), the lyric of the song (no instrumental accompanies) were in sync with the movement of the dancers, along with the blue lighting, let the highlight of the night. Here is another performance using the same background music. Take a look:
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With such a well-done second performance, the third act, Tarian Malam, was surely in a disadvantage. The dancers were perfect at the illustration of the mood, especially with the martial arts movements inserted, and the constant change of lighting effectively reinforced the theme of earthquake and the emotions. However, even with the intermission, it was a huge and risky twist between the dances. Caught in the light and joyful atmosphere created by the pervious act, it was very hard to capture the full emotion of the dance, and thus led to confusions for some people, including myself.
As a closing act, the various cultural dances worked pretty well for the audience. The choreographer Igor Moiseyev combined the small dances of different cultures into a work of art. Though it might be a good idea to put some plots into the dances (just a personal preference), the pure European cultural dance was entertaining on its own.
The four dances presented on stage could be described with a single word—“idiosyncratic”. Although there are several technical minor mistakes here and there in a few of the performances, different performers danced in their own distinctive styles, each with a unique attitude matching with the mood of the background music. It is almost impossible to compare them with one another, for it would be unjust to simply line them up and list all the best and worst, ignoring all the emotions and the particular characteristic involved in each dance. How do you compare a tiger with a peacock? —Exactly, that’s how distinctive they are.
The Struggle Continues
(from offBroadway.com)
Athol Fugard’s The Train Driver traces the life of Roelf after the “accident”. It explores his emotions and his psychological journey as he attempts to cope with his predicament. The setting of the play is in a makeshift graveyard in South Africa. The stage is littered with empty bottles, plastic bags, and aluminum hubcaps. A huge wrecked car looms above the characters near stage right. Sand covers the stage and bits of glass and other debris are scattered haphazardly.
The play was performed at the Pershing Square Signature Center, a small theater with only a few hundred seats. The venue gave the play a very intimate touch, and the characters voices were crystal clear, although hard to understand at times due to a heavy accent.
The play begins with Simon, a black South African who acts as narrator of the story. His role is unique in that he has an active position in the production, but he also plays the part of the omniscient storyteller. His facial expression is very believable, and his diction is clear and authentic. He wore a light brown work suit that appeared dirty and old. Underneath the work suit, a stretched-out ratty t-shirt could be spotted. He was barefoot, and his face, chest, feet, and lower legs were covered in dirt. He seemed aged and his facial wrinkles appeared accentuated. He moved around the stage slowly and with much effort. His actions all seemed forced, and they gave the impression of a weary man, worn out by life’s hardships. Leon Addison Brown, who plays Simon, fit the part perfectly.
The protagonist of the play was Roelf, played by Ritchie Coster. A white South African train driver, Roelf must “come to grips” with the event that changed his life. His character emanates tones of anger and discontentment. He wears a dark red short sleeve polo shirt with tan pants. His sneakers look out of place. In contrast to Simon, he speaks much more aggressively and louder, and his words are spat, as if his words are venom. Often times, Roelf gets so worked up in his tirades that the audience is able to see spittle spray from his mouth as he shouts. Roelf’s anger is directed at the “Red Doek”, who the audience understands to be the cause of his anguish. Simon is often the target for Roelf’s rage as he is the only other character in the play.
The sound effects are subtle throughout much of the play. The howling of dogs can be heard at night as can the whistling of the wind. The most dramatic effect occurs towards the end of the play, as Reolf attempts to bury the figuratively the native woman and her child. The sound of a freight train rushes through the theater, and the blaring of the train’s horn is haunting. The audience feels the harrowing effect of the collision through the sounds, and the actual collision is not depicted on stage.
The plays’ ending is certainly a little twist. The audience expects some type of closure; that Roelf and Simon will grow to understand each other. The ending seems to symbolize the ongoing struggle of South Africans in growing as a people. It suggests that much work still is needed to overcome the remnants of apartheid.
(by Luke O’Dowd)
The Train Driver Review
When we hear a TV broadcaster say “suicide by train,” we suddenly tune in to get the details. The reporter goes on to tell the facts about the victim. We find out the victim’s name, possibly why he or she decided to jump into the tracks, and maybe some words from friends or family. Did you ever hear what the train driver has to say about it?
Playwright Athol Fugard pries into a subject as sensitive as suicide in The Train Driver, but turns the victim’s seat so that we observe a point of view that is not widely discussed: that of the white train driver in the era of apartheid. He plays the role of a journalist, extracting the basis of his story from a newspaper article: a black woman carrying her three children (in the play, she only has one child) steps into the track where a train is approaching and the white driver kills her. Fugard hands us a magnifying glass, allowing us to observe the aftermath from Roelf’s (Ritchie Coster) perspective. So no, we don’t actually see the accident, for those of you who are into gore. We encounter the two characters, Roelf and gravedigger, Simon (Leon Addison Brown) in an eerie graveyard setting—a small, dimly lit field of sand sprinkled with pieces of shiny rock, empty plastic bottles, shards of glass, hubcaps, abandoned wires and other miscellaneous items that are meant to represent graves in this poor squatter village. A half-view of Simon’s shabby hut barely stands upright and a junkyard car on the left completes the scene. The set, which remains stagnant for the entirety of the play, is not only tragically beautiful, but mirrors the yearning, lonesome voices of both characters.
The audience is introduced to Roelf with a thick Afrikaans accent, thick enough to make you lean your ear further in, trying to guess what he just said. The character was wonderfully realistic, but at a cost—it left me trying to fill in the blanks. To some, it may be a foolish sacrifice because his words are crucial to understanding the underlying change in the train driver’s psyche. However, Coster’s breadth of emotions, from ragingly aggressive, to painfully vexed, to unpredictably skittish, to hopeless, gives us a multi-faceted look into his dynamic psyche. His first dialogue with Simon consists of Roelf frantically demanding Simon to find the woman’s grave. He exerts his rage onto the dead woman for ruining his life, but his attitude towards her changes gradually. While Roelf is the firework, Simon is the glass of water. Although we meet Simon first, singing a sad jazz tune in his native tongue, he is dominated by Roelf’s boldness. Also bearing a thick, coarse accent (and a rather realistic limp), his character reads “frazzled, impartial grave digger.” Unfortunately, because too much of the play relies on dialogue, it may fail to capture the interest of young children or people who do not understand English very well.
Although Fugard successfully brings up issues about this racially sensitive topic, he is not so successful in how he decides to end the story. It is a rather abrupt, unnecessary attempt to bring the play to a final close.
The Train Driver played at the Signature Theater until September 23rd.
“Train Driver” Review
“There are no white people sleeping here,” Simon Hanabe (Leon Addison Brown) exclaims, “Only black people.” Athol Fugard, the playwright and director of The Train Driver plays with a notion of redemption and has the audience anticipating every word of the dialogue.
When I first stepped into the theater at Pershing Square Signature Center, the play’s setting amazed me. Knowing the story behind the play, I did not picture the set to be covered with sand. It looked like a combination of a landfill and a desert. The seats are also situated in a way where the audience can almost touch the grains of sand in front of us. “How is this setting related to the story?” I wondered to myself. Similar questions continued to cross my mind before the lights in the room were dimmed.
There are only two characters. Each representing a culture that is fated to collide with each other. Roelf Visagie (Ritchie Coster), a South African man who comes from a culture where the deceased have crosses on their labeled graves, and Simon Hanabe, another African man whose people steal wooden crosses from the graves with no name to make fire. Fugard juxtaposes the two characters to portray the disparities between the mindsets and imbalanced privileges of one African man from another; Apartheid had segregated the colored from the white men in the 1950s. Sleeping in a hut, Simon is wearing a thin set of clothes with multiple holes, whereas Roelf has a t-shirt, jacket and a pair of pants to keep him warm from the cold winters. There are multiple effects during this part of the play. The lights grow dimmer to reveal a shift from day to night and sounds of whirling winds can be heard. I shivered from the cold air, as if I was also in the frayed hut with Roelf and Simon.
This was not the only instance when my emotions changed along with the actors’. When Roelf cursed about the struggles he had to go through, I, too, wanted to curse with him. His voice grows louder when he recounts the conversations he had with his wife; his wife had told him that the accident was not his fault. His voice lowers to an almost inaudible volume when he expresses his regret for being behind the train when it ran over the woman and her two children. The audience can hear the frustration behind his accent even if his words were incomprehensible. Fugard is amplifying the differences between the human mind and conscience with the rise and fall of the actors’ voices. This enhances the captivating qualities of The Train Driver.
Sitting in the theater, I felt as if I was the one searching for a way to redeem myself. I had almost wanted to shout with Roelf, “I’m not looking for white people. It is black people I am looking for.” Throughout this play, Fugard utilizes the audience’s various senses so that we can experience the South African man’s journey to redemption and the colored African’s living condition. The encountering of the two different cultures reveals the conflicted feelings that many of Simon’s people may have felt during the Apartheid era. It also reveals the perspective of South African men who may have benefited from the Apartheid, but felt guilty about the privileges that were given to them. Whether Roelf was able to redeem himself in the end is questionable because the ending left many questions unanswered. However, this may represent the South African men’s unredeemable sense of guilt from the Apartheid era. The unresolved ending has convinced me to want to watch other versions of the same play; I may be able to find clues to answer the various questions.
Signature Theater
