Author Archives: zacharyfrenkel

Bonnie and Clyde the Musical…An Epic Failure

Posted on by
2

We discussed in class how often in art you’ll see new and daring artists attempting pieces of art that have been previously explored. Sometimes this experimentation gets them worldwide popularity, and sometimes it doesn’t. Bonnie and Clyde are one of those more common times where experimentation didn’t bring very much success. The reviews of the musical in the daily news has already ravaged the play. An article in the Village Voice  discusses some of the reasons why this musical failed so miserably. The play tries to romanticize the characters Bonnie and Clyde, who historically were not very admirable nor likable. Bonnie and Clyde, who went on an infamous crime and killing spree in the 30’s, were originally admired as Robin-hood style villains who robbed banks.

Fedoras were popular '30s bathwear: Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes

But as their spree continued, more and more innocent people and police were killed, and more hardworking people-the owners of stores and gas stations, became the victims of Bonnie and Clyde. They were not appealing characters in real life, or on stage. They lived uncomfortably and unglamorously, and the play did not turn their deplorable acts into broadway magic. As the author of the article put it:”But the creators don’t even seem to have thought about the difficulties of building a show around two people who said, “We rob banks,” in an era when, far more frequently, banks seem to be robbing us.” I think this is another example of how “make it or break it” Broadway is. The music for the musical, obviously a large part of the show, was deafening. Over-amplified belted high notes seemed to be the musical’s method of curing any problems the play had; unfortunately for them, nothing could save that musical, no matter how many power ballads they put into it. Experimentation has  great potential in art and music, but is also liable for major failure. Look at the musical “The Book of Mormon”, Trey Parker’s and Matt Stone’s innovative creation that has become a box office hit. Then again, musicals like Bonny and Clyde, and Spiderman have faced endless adversity. Broadway is like any other scene in show business, far more lose than win.

The Gamelan Orchestra

Posted on by
1

Let me start off by saying that it was a really wonderful concert. What made it even better was that the entire class was able to play the instruments that we saw on stage last week. Knowing how difficult it is to sound as good as the orchestra did certainly made me appreciate the sound more, despite how unfamiliar it is to me. It is certainly unlike any of the other music we have explored this semester; it is completely unique to Bali.  There were two dancers, who danced in seemingly traditional dances (although one would be led to question how “authentic” any of this performance is, considering Bali’s musical history). The costumes of the orchestra members, who were barefoot as well (a sign of respect in Bali culture) completed the uniqueness of this event. Something striking about the instruments is that they look quite ancient. In reality, they are a modern creation, much more modern than the instruments found in a classical orchestra. The history of the Gamelan Orchestra is not as glamorous as it seems to be: instead of being traditional and spiritual, the Gamelan style of music was created because the Indonesian government pushed for it in order to entertain tourists at hotels. It’s amazing how great the orchestra sounded, when most of the orchestra was percussion. There were only two flutes to complement the percussion. The sounds were quite new and refreshing. The gong, which I got to play in class actually reminded me of the bells attached to ocean buoys. Alone the instruments do not sound so great, but put together, they sound quite impressive. This was evident in the segment of the show where the conductor pieced together the orchestra, part by part, before they played the full song. I know the music makes sense on a theoretical level, but only because the music majors in the class told me so. This concert and the classroom session on the Gamelan Orchestra was quite an interesting topic, and it explored a side of music that I previously knew very little about.

Street Acrobatics

Posted on by
1

New York City is home to all different kinds of art forms. These art-forms usually make their home in galleries, museums, and theaters. New York is special though, in the sense that it often brings the art to you. These street acrobatics that I witnessed in the streets of Manhattan were proof of that. With a drummer and a four piece drum-set, four dancers on Broadway Avenue attracted quite a large crowd. If graffiti is the modern equivalent of a painting, then these street acrobatics are the equivalent of a modern ballet. Regardless of what your taste in art is, there’s no denying that these street performers are bringing dancing and many other forms of art to a public that would not otherwise view them. Whether they are getting in your way in a subway station, or spray painting the sides of buildings on your drive home, these “street artists” are bridging the gap between the public and art, more than ever before. These acrobats are certainly skilled, and could rival the skill of the ballet dancers that we saw at “Fall for Dance”. Their style of dancing, which is a blend of break-dancing, acrobatics, and hip-hop dancing, is becoming more and more popular in society. Shows like So You Think You Can Dance? are becoming all too commonplace on television. Just walk into the Macaulay Lounge on any given day and you find a bunch of students practicing similar techniques. I think this best represents the changing taste in art in recent times, which people of every class, “classy” or not, can witness and participate in artistic activities without conventional means.Their antics involved feats of strength, flexibility, and even eating cigarettes!  All of these for now charge at all, although the dancers certainly recommended a donation. I’ve attached a video that I took of these quite entertaining acrobats: Street Dancers

Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Posted on by
2

The Metropolitan Museum of Art just opened up an exhibit on Islamic Art. It’s a good thing we had to blog about this exhibit, because I have a lot to say. Firstly, the size of the exhibit: It only takes ip one wall worth of display cases (around 30 ft) and displays around 40-50 pieces of art. I thought this was relatively small compared to many of the other exhibits in the museum, such as ancient Egypt or Japanese art. The art displayed is from around the start of the first millennium until the Middle Ages. Perhaps it was so difficult for the museum to build a larger exhibit because there is a lack of Islamic art from that time period. Art was generally looked down upon by the muslims because creating any likeness of God or Muhammed was considered a grave sin. With that kind of attitude, it’s no wonder that the art didn’t flourish like in other parts of the world. The display is made up of various different artifacts, as well as paintings.The artifacts range from bowls and plates, to pipe and pen cases. The art certainly reminds me of the other styles of art of that period. Two strikingly similar styles are the Japanese art, and Tibetan art. The japanese art on display at the Met from the same period looks almost identical, except that the Japanese used different symbols, and often their art depicted people, whereas islamic art usually does not depict anyone out of fear of sin. The artistic style, such as the way people are displayed in both Islamic and Japanese art is the same as in Tibetan art. The Rubin Museum of Art is filled with Tibetan art of the same time period, and the similarities are striking. These styles must have evolved together and at the same pace; trade between these asian countries would certainly serve as routes for cultural diffusion. The Islamic Art  exhibit is a wonderful addition to the Met and has expanded my knowledge of Asian art from the pre-Middle Ages.

A sample of Islamic artwork

After a Year, ‘Spider-Man’ Earns Its Weekly Keep

Posted on by
Reply

Earlier in the semester I blogged about Spiderman the Musical. I wrote about how expensive and arduous its production was, and how harsh reviews and low sales were crippling the play. The show decided to forgo any plans to perform in a potentially lucrative overseas setting. Finally, the week of Thanksgiving, the show turned a weekly profit. The show costs approximately $1 million dollars a week. Usually it only pulled in around $100,000 to $300,000 dollars a week. Last week though, it pulled in $2,070,195.60 dollars, a box-office record for any show in history. Thats not to say that Spider-Man is out of the woods yet; it cost $75 million dollars to create and produce, another Broadway record. Usually a play costs between $5 million and $15 million dollars to produce. The producers and creators have full confidence that the show is going to recoup its losses in the coming months and years. They are using different strategies to attract an audience. Firstly, they are trying to appeal to tourists and first-time Broadway visitors. They also plan on changing the play every year to re-attract previous viewers. The show is now running smoothly with no more interruptions or injuries, and things are finally looking like Spider-Man will stick around for a bit. This only comes to show that Broadway is like any other form of entertainment: There are ups and downs, and it can either be a stage for success or failure. I found it quite interesting that such a new and novel show idea faced so much trouble, while older more conventional shows like the Lion King continued to make plenty of money. I think it might make more sense to keep these new and unconventional ideas on television, where there is much more of an audience for them (although spiderman on t.v. is hardly a new idea.) The article can be found here. An interview with the main actor of the show can be found here. 

 

Naked Truth: New Sitcoms Are Reruns

Posted on by
1

In this NY Times article, Neil  Genzlinger expresses his frustration over the new sitcoms popping up on television these days: There’s nothing new about them! All of the ideas these shows are exploring are not funny. Why? We’ve heard the jokes already. Gerzlinger calls this phenomenon the “End of Comedy”, or at least novelty. He breaks up the humor explored in these shows into five categories:

1. GUESS WHAT? WE HAVE GENITALS- The subtleties previously needed to “mention” these subjects on television are no longer necessary; words previously considered obscene are mentioned numerously throughout modern sitcoms for shock value, yet they yield very little comedic value.

2. TECHNOLOGY EXISTS TO MAKE US LOOK STUPID- This comedic topic has been used and reused for the past sixty years. Trite? Yea, it is. If Giligan’s Island did it, it’s already been done.

3. PARENTS+KIDS=WAR – “What in 1958 occupied 25 minutes is now condensed into 15 seconds. Television’s parent-child war, once full of intricate battle plans and troop movements, has degenerated into a snarky guerrilla contest made of quick, largely mirthless strikes.”

4: EEK, A BABY- I can’t remember a sitcom over the past two decades that hasn’t had an episode or two (or more!) that focused on the difficulties of being a new parent. Yet this is still being used as ideas for shows, evident in the creation of the new sitcom “Up All Night”.

5: CLODS IN THE WORKPLACE- Useless bosses, selfish coworkers, unfair compensation, unhappiness with an occupation. Done, done, and done. Sexual inequality in the workplace has been so “thoroughly strip-mined” that today a sitcom only has to make a passing reference to it.

Do these themes look familiar? They should, because since the advent of T.V., these have been recurring topics of comedy. And to be quite frank, they’ve gotten old. Even the idea of reusing topics of comedy is an old one. Look at Don Giovanni- the sexuality and even the innuendoes used (pillars as phallic symbols) throughout the play certainly do not feel two hundred years old. The Bald Soprano is still funny for modern audiences as well, and as mentioned in class, the effect the theater of the absurd has had on comedies such as Seinfeld is quite apparent. “If sitcoms are merely rehashing the same five categories of jokes, they’re also just shuffling the same handful of situations. Family with precocious kids. Workplace full of kooks. The young and hip being young and hip. You might think that the been-there-done-that thing isn’t an issue for viewers in a younger demographic, but thanks to Nick at Nite and such, it is; they too have seen all those shows we cranky geezers grew up on.”

Art and Occupy Wall Street

Posted on by
2

I attended the Occupy Wall Street teach-in at Queens College on Thursday, November 18th. The teach in provided some background information on the Occupy Wall Street movement, such as its start date, which was September 17th, and the founders of the movement, Ad Busters. The teach in did not provide very useful information on what the movement is moving towards; what are its goals, how does it plan to achieve them, and what need to change in society today? The teach-in mainly focused on activism as a whole, and how to become and activist. After leaving the teach-in I was just as confused as I was before attending. “99%”, “disenfranchisement”, “lay offs”, and other terms are being thrown around without being explained. After doing some research on my own, I discovered that the Occupy Wall Street web site outlines a list of accusations against corporate America. These claims include illegal foreclosures, perpetuating inequality, unjust bailouts, and criminal activity abroad. So its clear that this is an anti-corporate movement nostalgic of the 1960’s hippie movement.

Similar to the hippie movement of the 1960’s, Occupy Wall Street is seeped in artistic practices such as painting and music. Rolling Stone posted an article explaining Occupy Wall Street’s relationship to art. “[…] on any given day in downtown Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, Occupy Wall Street protestors can be witnessed huddling around guitarists or poets as they articulate the grievances of the crowd through song and verse.” Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, artist Wolf Geyr, and even musician Kanye West have shown up in Zuccotti park to show their support. There is even an exhibit in the old JP Morgan building of all of the visual art inspired by the recent event of Occupy Wall Street. With such an emphasis on art, it’s a wonder how Occupy Wall Street reconciles the long standing relationship between corporations and art. Numerous museums have been founded by philanthropists, such as The Rubin Museum by Donald Rubin, a big player in health insurance companies. Andrew Carnegie, the steel industry tycoon himself said the charity is best invested in public works, especially in the arts. He founded Carnegie Hall, one of the mot recognizable attractions of New York. Even Tom Morello’s band, Rage Against the Machine, which built its musical career on leftist anti-corporate rants, was sponsored by a sub-company of Sony Music. The park that Occupy Wall Street stood in is owned by Brookfield Office Properties, who allocated the park to public use. Although corporate America may not be completely innocent, the contributions it has made to the arts alone raises eyebrows when under scrutiny from such an artistic crowd.

Spiral Music at the Rubin Museum of Art

Posted on by
2

I attended one of the Spiral Music performances, the acoustic shows performed on Wednesdays under the spiral staircase in the lobby of the Rubin Museum of Art. The performance that I saw featured T M Hoffman who played the koto, shakuhachi, and sang vocals and the tabla player Narendra Budhakar. The koto is an Indian version of a steel guitar, with thirteen strings spanning the length of the four-foot instrument, and plastic bridges that set the tuning for each string. The koto was played in a variety of ways, including using fingerpicks, a cello bow, wooden wands, and a metal hammer. The shakuhachi is a Japanese flute made of bamboo. The tabla is a set of Indian percussion instruments quite similar to the bongos. Both musicians were dressed in Indian-style garb, with robes and bare feet. The seats for the performance were on the floor, and the audience sat cross-legged to view the show. All of the lyrics were in Indian, and the concert effectively had the feel of a Himalayan cultural event. Hearing the music of the region was a great accentuation to the visual artwork that the Rubin Museum has on display. They played many traditional Indian songs, such as a song for the rainy season of India. The concert exposed me to music I have never heard before, just like the museum exposed me to art I’ve never seen before. Music is said to be the universal language, but the music played was as alien to me as the Indian language. It bore no resemblance to the classical music that I have listened to throughout the semester. The concert really showed me how Americanized I am, to the extent that a whole continents culture is almost entirely foreign to me. If nothing else, the trips to the Rubin Museum that I took and the concert that I watched there have broadened my cultural knowledge of the world as a whole. It would be very interesting for me to explore various other international cultural centers and see how it compares to American and Himalayan culture as well.

 

 

Herman Cain uses late night T.V. to diffuse charges

Posted on by
2

Herman Cain appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live defending himself against the charges of sexual harassment that he has been facing. This was a strategic decision: Usually politicians have formal conference for rebutting such charges, and appear some time later on talk shows to act as if it has blown over. Cain did the opposite, and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel before his scheduled press conference. His appearance gave him a chance to get his opinion out, and and to use humor to deflect the allegations. His appearance also continues to promote his image of being a normal American, while a serious press conference would give off the impression of “politics as usual”. Appearing on a talk show is not by any means a new idea for politicians: Soon after his election, it seemed that President Obama couldn’t get enough of talk shows! This political motive behind some talk shows makes one wonder what other examples of art could have been distorted for political reasons. John Berger lays out a complex theory that art has become “mystified” for the common man for a political purpose in his essay Ways of Seeing. People have been alienated from art and led to believe that it is only for the rich to understand so that they don’t question the context in which these paintings were painted. For example, Frans Hals painted some portraits that might have displayed his contempt for the higher class. The higher classes try to alienate us from art so that we do not contemplate the inequities of those time periods, which may lead to a modern contempt for the rich. Whether this theory is true or not, it is something worth contemplating the next time one investigates a piece of art. Try to visualize what the artist was thinking when he painted it, and what happened in history during that time that may have influenced or manipulated the artist. The original article can be found here. John Berger’s essay can be found here.

http://youtu.be/_FhuhwhoDdI

Spiderman the musical

Posted on by
1

Spiderman the musical has been a roller coaster in terms of production. It costs double the price of a normal broadway play. It also had a long bring of injuries and a seemingly endless period of previews. Most broadway shows have a month of preview shows. Spiderman the musical had six months of previews. The list of issues that the play faced does not end there; Early reviews for the musical were quite negative, and the artistic disagreements between the director and her fellow creators and new producers were so sharp, that she was fired from the show. The original director, Julie Taymor may have appeared for opening night with a happy face, but she was furious. She is currently legally pursuing $500,000 dollars in royalties she believes she is owed. I found this musical to be a such a stark contrast to Don Giovanni, the opera we are about to see. Spiderman uses lots of cables and modern technology for effects; Don Giovanni uses none. Spiderman’s composers are Bono and the Edge of U2, instead of an orchestra like Don Giovanni. It’s unlikely to happen, but a seeing a more modern musical would provide excellent context for discussion after seeing Don Giovanni. The article on Spiderman can be found here.

Steven Heller Doesn’t Need Your Matisse

Posted on by
1

I have to admit, with a title like “Steven Heller Doesn’t Need Your Matisse”, I was expecting an article denouncing the artistic value of Matisse (which would make quite an interesting blog post because of the Cone Sisters exhibit). Instead the article was an explanation of the work of author Steven Heller. On a side note this was a great example of how important a title can be for a piece of artwork or literature. Steven Heller wrote or coauthored more than 140 books, and is a well known design writer. His career started at the age of 17, when his assistantship at New York Free Press quickly turned into a art directing position. Heller is one of those rare college drop outs that does more with his life than live in his mother’s basement: He left NYU for a job at Screw magazine. At the age 24 he was hired by the New York Times to work on the op-ed page. The Times is where he stayed for 33 years. His success without college and formal education is a constant reminder that success can be found if one searches hard enough. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg can all attest to this. Over the past three decades, Heller’s irreverence and fresh views on power, art, and design made his bi-line an epidemic. Heller says that “I’d rather have an object of commerce, which I call a sculpture of commerce, than a Matisse.” Hellers unconventional views are symbolic of the personal nature of art: the value a piece of art has is the value we give it. Mona Lisa may as well be made into a napkin if not for the millions of people who appreciate its artistic value every day. People keep the magic in art alive, and as long as it inspires future generations with the same reverence and mystique as it does nowadays, then appreciation for fine art will never die. Heller teaches art at the School of Visual Arts, and has four books set for release in 2012. The article can be found here.

Steven Heller

 

Chris Martin of Coldplay Asks: What Would Bruce Do?

Posted on by
1

Chris Martin may be the biggest name in Rock in todays day and age of Pop and Hip Hop. He is the lead singer of the world famous band Coldplay. Coldplay reached mainstream success in 2000 with their single “Yellow”; right about the same time that rock of the 1990’s began the decline that it hasn’t recovered from to date.  The band just came out with its fifth studio album, “Mylo Xyloto”, produced by Brian Eno, the famed producer of David Bowie and the Talking Heads. The band wants to reinvent itself once again with this

Chris Martin, the frontman of Coldplay

album. For inspiration, Chris Martin turns to his “teachers”, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono Vox (from U2). One of Coldplay’s biggest influences is U2, besides for Radiohead that is (Coldplay is often criticized for being a lighter version of Radiohead). Going along with this theme of reinvention, the title of the album was chosen to be an “ungoogleable” album title. The band claims that the kind of pressures they faced for their fifth album widely ranged: High expectations from the label as well as the fans meant they needed every day of the 18 months spent to record the album. They also have the responsibility of keeping alive a genre of music that is almost extinct. Many of the bands similar to Coldplay have fallen out of the public eye because they lacked the work ethic that Coldplay has. Mr Martin claims that he often has to visit radio stations and television stations to ensure air-play. Coldplay’s hustling has paid off, and two of the singles from that album have already sold more than 2 million downloads combined. For all of the criticisms that many bands have for Coldplay, there is still a sort of reverence that they demand because of their survival and adaptation in such a different musical atmosphere. Coldplay is the only band of its kind, and may be the last Rock band to break genres and reach the “Top 40” for many years to come. The article can be found here.

“The Walking Dead Returns for Another Season”

Posted on by
1

This article in the New York Times speaks about the next season of “The Walking Dead”, a hit t.v. show on AMC. The show previewed last fall with a six episode first season. The season finale attracted 6 million viewers, double that of other popular AMC shows such as “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men”. The developer quit the show for this season, and previously developed the movies Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. The budget for each episode is around 3 million dollars. The show is about a post-apocalyptic United States that is covered in Zombies. Original, I know. I actually watched the first season, and it left a lot to be desired. The pilot was fantastic, mainly because it was cliffhanger that left me wondering what could happen next. Unfortunately, as the show unraveled, I realized that all of these ideas have been done before, only better, in such movies as 28 Days Later, and Dawn of the Dead. I found it quite surprising that it attracted so many viewers, especially since Breaking Bad is a way more realistic and overall better produced show. Then I remember how every ten minutes last fall I saw another commercial from The Walking Dead. It was all hype, and no substance. If you want to watch a show with a big budget and a stale plot this show is for you. Otherwise avoid it like the plague. The article can be found here.

Robert Whitaker, the Beatles’ Photographer, Dies at 71

Posted on by
2

Robert Whitaker, the world renowned photographer famous for his work with the Beatles died of cancer at 71 on September 20th. Whitaker photographed many of the Beatles’ album covers, including the original cover to the album “Yesterday and Today” often known as the “Butcher” cover. The cover was a photograph of the Beatles members covered in chunks of meat and dismembered plastic dolls.

The "Butcher" album cover

Whitaker, who claimed that the idea for the cover was solely his was inconsistent in explaining its meaning; sometimes he’d say it was for no other purpose than a simple cover. Other times he claimed that it was reflective of how the Beatles were just flesh and bone creatures, despite the limelight they enjoyed. On another occasion he said the image would be one of three that would tell a story. Regardless, the album was recalled and the cover was replaced with another image (the Beatles standing around a steamer trunk) because the original was thought to be too controversial. Hundreds of thousands of albums were recalled, and the album was the only one that Capitol Records lost money on. The Beatles were one of the first rock bands, and accordingly were often the subject of controversy. Remarks by John Lennon that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus is just one example of such. It fascinates me how much criticism the Beatles received for these actions; more modern rock artists have more brazenly and obscenely “crossed the line” and make the Butcher cover and Lennon’s remarks seem PG. For instance, Marilyn Manson, a 90’s metal band frontman called himself the “Antichrist Superstar”. The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album “The Abbey Road EP”, named after the Beatles album featured a parody of the Abbey Road album cover; the band is portrayed as crossing a street just like the Beatles only they are almost entirely naked. Another example is KoRn’s self titled album, the cover of which shows a girl in a park in the shadow of a likely abductor. I find it amazing that as rock n roll progressed, so did people’s perceptions of obscenity. Society as a whole shifted its view of obscene and accepted since the 60’s in all areas including music, television, art, and sexuality. The article can be found here.

I decided to not post a picture of the Abbey Road EP by the Red Hot Chili Peppers for obvious reasons.

The original Abbey Road album cover by the Beatles.

The KoRn self titled album

Marilyn Manson- The self proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar"

The “Butcher” album cover that was recalled

R.E.M. Disbands After 31 Years

Posted on by
1

R.E.M., the famous alternative rock band from the 80’s disbanded after 31 years. The bandmates apparently left on amicable terms, and felt it was just to call it quits. The group laid the framework for both the alternative and indie genres that became popular in the 90’s and 2000’s. The band released fifteen major albums, many of which were milestones of ingenuity. R.E.M. was officially inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.Rob Cavallo, the chairman of Warner Brothers Records, said “To call R.E.M. one of the greatest bands in contemporary music is an understatement.” Personally I will miss R.E.M. greatly. I may not be the biggest fan of specifically the band, but their departure from music represents a greater trend in musical style. Highly talented and individual bands from the 80’s and 90’s are becoming a part of history, replaced by corporate cloned pop culture acts. R.E.M.’s retirement marks the end of a great era of music, now thought of as outdated. The skill and style of bands like R.E.M. are now a thing of the past. Depressing to say the least, it leaves me wondering what the state of music will be like in anther ten years, and if I will ever be able to listen to most radio stations without cringing. Here is a music video of one of R.E.M.’s most famous songs: Losing My Religion…..

The article can be found here.