Student Posts

Posts written by students in The Arts in New York City (Fall 2017).

The Metropolitan Opera House

Sam Gosda

The Metropolitan Opera House is one of the most esteemed opera houses in the world. It was designed as part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts by Wallace K. Harrison. It was created to replace the original Metropolitan Opera House which was located at the corner of Broadway and 39th Street. Construction for the new opera house began in 1963 and was completed in 1966. The Metropolitan Opera is the largest repertory opera house in the world with a seating capacity of 3,800.

With hydraulic elevators, rigging systems, and motorized platforms the Met is the most technologically advanced Opera House stage in the world. The creative mixture of technologies and set design allows the Met to perform an array of operas. They can perform simple stories with the beautiful stage and curtains alone as well as take on four part operas by using their ever changing set. They are able to raise parts of the stage above anyone’s view, lower it into the ground, put a pond center stage, and even show a parade featuring live horses pulling carriages.

The Metropolitan Opera house is world renowned for many reasons. The venue itself is just one. People come from all over the world to see performances, famous performers, and conductors. However, most visitors overlook the amazing feat of architecture they are in. The building and ingenuity that was put into it allow the amazing operas, ballets, and concerts to the performed and enjoyed at the highest quality that exists in the world.

STEAM Festival at Macaulay

abhayvirsingh

The STEAM Festival at the Macaulay Honors College was an attempt at bringing together the arts focused first seminar and science focused third seminar. STEAM, of course, stands for science technology engineering arts mathematics. There were students from all CUNY campuses there so it was great to have the time to interact with them and to learn about their experiences in their respective campuses. It was interesting to see how just in the first seminar how students were learning about and experiencing the arts in different ways. Our class’s projects were based off of A Chorus of Stones and each group represented a chapter from the work, showcasing the books contents as well as personal experiences and/or opinions. A class from Baruch had gone around the city taking pictures of art and then put all the pictures in groups. This way, so many different things were able to be seen with a certain commonness. A lot of classes had short videos made on certain topics. For example, another class from Baruch research Astoria, Queens and made a video and brochures on the significance and diversity of the culture of Astoria. Others had made films about topics ranging from their experiences with Macaulay in general to personal relationships in regards to society. Seminar 3 students also had very interesting topics. Although they were science oriented, they were interesting and easy to understand. I remember this one project from Brooklyn College students that studied the relationship between nature and concentration in school work, which was very interesting and relevant. Another project researched the differences in the cafeterias of Baruch College and New York University. They found that although NYU offers more variety, Baruch offers more healthy options. I liked how the ITFs were asking us about what we had learned and they were very engaging with all students. The button making station was very fun. The buttons came out very nice. Overall, I would say that it was a great endeavor in bringing together students of all campuses and of different years with different works to present.

 

Robert Rauschenberg at MoMA

abhayvirsingh

As our first Macaulay seminar trip, the Rauschenberg exhibit at MoMA set the bar for what would follow. The lecture on Robert Rauschenberg that we had prior to visiting came in very useful as it gave some background knowledge into the type of work we would be seeing and from what part of time. I didn’t that a museum guide would be showing us around, so that was great as well. Her commentary on all the pieces of the exhibit was actually very helpful. MoMA stands for Museum of Modern Art and that’s exactly what I felt like it was showcasing. The building architecture and internal layout gave a very modern vibe and it felt more like a building than a museum. The exhibit itself was something I didn’t expect. It consisted of pieces that Rauschenberg made from things he just found on the streets, like cardboard and the goat. Although from afar it would be easy to brush off his work as not significant, once I got closer and actually thought about the work, many different thoughts came to my mind. I started thinking about a lot of different things, things that must’ve came to Rauschenberg or maybe that’s just the beauty of his work. That it’s open to the individual and it’s up to the individual to decide on the meaning of the work that they want to take with them. The center piece in one of the halls, was the preserved goat. I didn’t actually imagine it being a big as it was. I mean how would’ve thought to make an art piece out of that. This unexpectedness and subtle randomness to Rauschenberg’s work is what intrigued me. It forced me to think a way about art that I wouldn’t normally. It allowed me to have a new perspective toward everything I see, which I now all view as art.

Seminar class picture from MOMA.

Fall for Dance Festival

abhayvirsingh

The Fall for Dance Festival at the New York City Center featured dance performances of all styles. It was combination of techniques and choreography; hence festival is an appropriate term describing it. When we got there, the scene was almost chaotic. Crowds were lined up all over the sidewalk, pushing many people onto the streets. The audience was definitely excited for the performance. They all seemed to be in the culture of watching such performances so they appreciated the art. It wasn’t as hectic inside, however. We were all the way in the back so there was a side door for us to enter from that led us straight to our seats. The seats, although in the back, weren’t that bad. I could see everything fairly clearly and the seats were comfortable as well. The first performance was of the Miami City Ballet. This was a more traditional ballet production compared to the rest and the performers wore traditional ballet tights. I was shocked to see the level of flexibility and control the performers had achieved. They made everything look so smooth and easy but we could see how hard it was and the work they must have put in to present it in such a way. Polyphonia of the New York City Ballet was phenomenal as well. It’s just an amazing experience to watch these artists perform their art. Next came the very unique and interesting Vincent Mantsoe. Everything, from his movements to his facial expressions, was the recipient of applause from the ecstatic audience. A dancer from South Africa, he definitely bought a different style to the stage and it was a privilege to watch. After Vincent came the Trisha Brown Dance Company. The use of curtains in this act was eye-opening. At last came what everybody had been waiting for, Dorrance Dance. I still can’t believe that we were able to watch such talented and famous dancers! As expected, Dorrance put all of us on the edges of our seats. They had normal everyday clothes on, that at first seemed different but seemed to blend together in a very interesting way. Their dance style was much loose and engaging, as were their facial expressions. All parts of the performance, from the man that looked like Voldemort to tap dance, the performance was perfect and a privilege to watch.

 

Fall for Dance, October 3, 2017, at New York City Center

Turandot Metropolitan Opera

abhayvirsingh

This was my first time at the Metropolitan Opera and I’m glad it was as part of the Macaulay seminar class. Lincoln center is simply so majestic that speaks volumes to the kind of talent that we find inside on stage. The external Lincoln square is the best, especially at night when the buildings are all lit up. As you walk in the red carpet all over the place and the grand staircase instills in you the level of elegance and professionalism that occupies the halls. I was actually in sort of a panic because I had left my ticket at home and had realized that half way through the commute. Luckily, professor Natov had an extra with her so I was able to get in. we were in the family box so that was all the way at the top of the hall. It was, I believe, four flights of stairs above the ground floor. When I got to my seat the chandeliers ascended, signaling the beginning of the show. That sight is probably one of the best parts of the experience at the MET. It was like we were in a different world, or like a ride, ready to be amazed. My focus was on the audience and I found that the audience was much more diverse than our previous trips. I saw people from all around the world and it really felt like New York City. Everyone, of course, was very fancy and elegant and we all felt underdressed. We were the only teenagers there so our presence was quite noticeable. Apparently, some of the audience behind us was talking about us in their native language. Nonetheless, the best part overall has to be the staging. The level of professionalism and perfection was totally unexpected. Even though the intervals were long, around forty-five minutes each, they went by fairly quick and it gave us an opportunity to explore more of the MET. The staging for the second act was particularly captivating. There was a body of water represented and I remember asking professor Natov if it was of real water. Everything was set perfectly and Turandot couldn’t have been a better opera to see for a first time opera visitor.

 

Turandot

Torch Song at the Second Stage Theater

abhayvirsingh

Torch Song was my first off-Broadway show. It was played at the Second Stage Theater, a famous theater company. The building, to me, seemed very low-key. I couldn’t tell that that was where we were headed. As we entered, it still looked more like a warehouse than a theater. But when I got to the actual stage area, the whole atmosphere changed. The way the seats were arranged was very organized yet felt open at the same time. Maybe because the ceiling was and the seats were sort of organized in a bleachers type of way, it felt like it was outdoors in some open arena. Our seats were towards the back, the second or third from last row, yet when the stage still felt so close and the characters appeared to be much closer than they were for some reason. The stage was set up very well. I could clearly tell the setting was from an older time period. The transitions between acts were extremely smooth and fast. They had the stages already made and they simply rolled them over, it was a very efficient way to do things. The acting itself was phenomenal. I was amazed to see the level of talent and perfection a mere mortal can achieve. Seeing live performances like these are different than watching things on a screen. Sitting in the audience, I could feel the talent which of course made the audience very responsive. There were cheers, groans, laughs, gasps, at every scene. We all felt the disconnect between Ed and Arnold. It was frustrating to see how times force a person to hide himself yet and the was and still is the reality. The murder of Alan was something surely that we didn’t expect but again speaks to the tragedy in which people are forced to live in. The production has been extremely successful and has won the Tony Award. Torch Song was surely a moving experience.