What a wonderful day yesterday (Saturday) of truly talented people sharing their heart and talent live streaming!
I'm uploading this un-rehearsed reading of Sherwood Anderson's short-story (below) because maybe many people for the very first time in their lives are discovering a lesson through isolation. Maybe. It took a long, long, time for me to truly understand over the decades. I don't think Anderson's short story in any way negates sense of achievement. Rather, it urges us to believe in ourselves. Our own voice that should be heard. And, indeed, it may not always woo the prevailing crowd. Nor is it wrong to do so. Only, is it that that will give you joy, the strength to carry on through adversity?
It's a cutting-edge story, of its time (1919) and way ahead of its time.
It is merely an unrehearsed reading of a short story and cannot be assumed to be autobiographical for anyone in any way. Only in sentiment. Perhaps.
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence
The big event tonight (Sunday 8pm) is a birthday celebration for Mr.Stephen Sondheim: Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration. (it should be up on the website after going out live, but it isn’t quite the same ‘buzz’ as being there in the virtual theater). The celebration was to be over a month ago with the Broadway revival opening of Company. Mr. Sondheim is the perfect example of 'being yourself'. Tell the story you want to tell not what others may wish for. The title of the celebration is a very underrated, unknown amazing song from an early Sondheim TV musical. Would you believe with Anthony Perkins?! Perfect example of a great actor who got typecast after….! (He is so great in Orson Welles’ adaption of Kafka’s The Trial) The song and the story say it all, really. Mr. Sondheim went on to tell that sad tale in varying guises for the rest of his career. Any and everyone with a healthy skepticism of life's manacled manipulations are heartily glad for that.
[8.33pm Sunday and Sondheim still hasn't started streaming..all those 'tweets' running down the screen like financial ticker-tape. Why bother? [sorry..at least it's digital not paper] In this 30 minutes you could have ordered another pizza, had a Fleabag 'shag';), consumed way more alcohol, stood on your head, danced naked in the street, or in my case listen to one's talented cat sing Mozart. What a world, eh? Wanna a free show, what r u complaining about!!! oh..8.35 I see movement…stop vamping! finally launching at 8.45pm (don't think that the aliens are very interested in stealing our technology;) oops…human technology very clearly has something against Raúl Esparza, (Always welcome in our galaxy, sir…;) Time for another ‘shag’ everyone!;)
Now a 10pm start. Times don't seemed changed much Patti and Katrina since recording the original Company cast recording until 3am! Well, was up until 3am last night reading Saint Augustine to my cat. Sure cat we can wait patiently for Father Raúl and Abbess Stephen. [didn't tell you that she fell asleep last night, but that's OK. Osmosis of words into the body never hurts. Augustine had very interesting ideas on the female body way ahead of his time, the interpretation of scripture and indeed creation itself.]
…all this waiting reminds me a bit of that scene in The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel when she is forced to wait endlessly while other male comedians take her spot. By this spot, she has 'imbibed' and splurged mustard from her hot dog over her black dress, already creased. She still proves to be the funniest in New York, alongside Lenny Bruce.
Hmm, sounds like a Sondheim scene….
My Mick Jagger meets Schönberg meets Sondheim..
oooh, ahhh- the livestream seems to have begun!
….well if you’d started on time, the above would not have been. Let them be. Let the words speak…
[I keep thinking of taken this down. Haven't listened to it in ages and if the gremlins hadn't had their way last night and you'd started on time..:) One would be crazy even to think that it was the 'Glenn Gould' of Sondheim interpretation! There's a lot to criticize in this one take improvisation. But it was a particular moment in my life that will never come again. And though there's a lot that is very 'ropy', I think the intention set arcs it's way into the final depths of our heart.]
The Sondheim Celebration is a benefit for Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP). Raúl Esparza: to help children imagine different lives.
The very prescient Evening Primrose is up online (thought there was a better version than this, though). The songs in context of the story are amazing.
Two and half hours of unforgettable performances. One's only regret, that everyone couldn't have come together at the end to sing the finale of Sunday in the Park with George. After all the theater and opera I've seen over the years, for me, it is one of the greatest most soul-searching endings in the music theater repertoire. (And interestingly indestructible in its seeming simplicity no matter what key you play it in, and how badly one mangles Sondheim's intricate chromatic orchestration). One of the first Broadway shows I saw as a jet-lagged kid on my very first visit to New York (oops didn't mean to age you both;) ) was Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters in Sunday. Fairly sure it was standing room. Fairly sure I cried, and cried exiting into the surreal experience of, what was then, a very different theater district. "Hey homeboy," someone shouted a few minutes later. Don't think I even really knew what that meant then.
Heartbreaking story of Phantom of the Opera 30year stalwart costume dresser, Jennifer Robin Arnold, who did at 67.
This is great! Digital walking tour of Gustav Mahler’s New York: musicians of the New York Philharmonic lead you on a tour of the New York City Mahler knew as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.
Monday night, Jonas Kaufmann gives free recital. (Really great streaming codec that the Bayerische Staatsoper is using). The Met Opera's is also pretty good-Brightcove-was very impressed with their presentation years and years ago. It all came true! Ya gotta think ahead, fish great and small.
(info courtesy Slipped Disc)
The Czech Philharmonic live stream from last night (25 April) is still available- all musicians wearing facemasks conducted in an empty theater. Bravo! What joy! So surreal seeing everyone making music in a face mask. (Isn't every Czech born with a DNA 'surreal' gene;)?) Like a sci-fi movie. Interesting that it's always the eyes that are important for the musicians and the conductor. The smile or frown is, of course too, but so much happens in the eyes. Wouldn't it be interesting to see what A.I. robots (anyone see the Japanese Mozart robot WAM in Mozart in the Jungle?) made of that?
Of course, it's also movie acting. Then again, the Kuleshov editing experiment showed how easily perception could be manipulated.
Britain's Royal National Theater streams (until this Friday) Twelfth Night (2017) starring Tamsin Greig (Malvolia). She isn't really known at all in America but is renowned for her comedy in the innovative 'surreal' Brit TV satires Black Books and Green Wing. Thrilling to watch the last two RNT productions, Jane Eyre and Treasure Island curled up with my bottle of wine.
I know that's a bit theatrically politically incorrect and is no substitute for the live experience. But live streams both in Britain and America have proven there is an enormous audience for such. Admittedly, they have screened in theaters with an audience. It isn't a revenue stream that can sustain live theater, but as I've written before, I would pay on demand to see European and American theater and opera. The Berlin Philharmonic rather lead the way with their very reasonably priced online subscription series. (free 30day trial)
Thirteen.org have some great NY theater performances that I'll work my way through. The latest being a new Richard Nelson play (The Public Theater) debuting April 29.
And there's a revival streaming of the musical Emma opening May 7 hosted by Broadway's Laura Osnes and Kelli Barrett (free that night and $5 thereafter).
t.b.c..at
