If asked what was the recipe for the success of Chinglish, I would say: a cup of English, a cup of Chinese, three dashes of miscommunication and a teaspoon of an affair gone awry. Pour on to the stage and wait for laughs. Sexy, sophisticated and damn funny, Chinglish is one of David Henry Hwang’s best works.
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/11/04/a-celebration-of-chinglish/.
High-flying hijinks…lyrics by Bono and Edge…a new stealth production, how can you go wrong? Spiderman 2.0 rises above its predecessor in grand fashion. It may have took a few tries and over $70 million dollars, but they finally got it right. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark turns up the volume and gives fans something to Marvel at on Broadway.
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/07/05/spiderman-2-0-the-future-of-american-musical-theatre-personified/.
It was the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas blended with A Star Is Born; Lucky Guy was loads of rootin’-tootin’ fun. Besides, who could ever resist Ms. Varla Jean Merman?
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/05/07/off-broadway-gets-lucky/.
Ah, Geoffrey Rush! What more can I say? Watching him on stage was bliss. He may have descended into madness, but I was lifted watching one of the greatest actors of the late 20th century perform his craft.
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/02/26/oscar-nominated-actor-geoffrey-rush-reprises-madman-one-last-time/.
During the spring, most of us work like Rocky Balboa training for a prize fight in order to look desirable during New York City’s annual humidity festival, also known as the summer. But as sure as The Empire State Building lights up in the evening, the temperature cools, making way for fall. Bikinis, mini-skirts, sandals and halter tops are replaced with jackets, sweaters, corduroys and knee-high boots. The quest to maintain that summer figure may become more difficult as fall gives way to winter. New York City is filled with gyms, but spinning on a bicycle going nowhere, posing in yoga positions or doing repetitions on a weight machine are not the only methods to staying fit and agile. Dancing provides all the sweat and none of the routine of regular workout and The Ailey Extension offers both.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is best known as being the “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” but in New York City AAADT is an institution. Founded in Manhattan in 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and its creator changed the landscape of American modern dance. One of Ailey’s signature ballet, Revelations, is considered to be the most often seen modern dance performance. Each time I watch this extraordinary work, I sit in awe and sometimes believe that I can perform the choreography. After my brief moment of delusion, I realize I can never move and accentuate my body like someone who has devoted their life to dancing and performing, but I can learn.
“Mr. Ailey understood that people need to be engaged and connected in a way that they understand,” states Iquail Johnson, one of the instructors at The Ailey Extension. And through The Ailey Extension everyone is able to partake in a piece of Alvin Ailey’s legacy, experiencing the opportunity to comprehend dance the way he understood it. Created in 2005, The Ailey Extension offers over 80 dance and fitness classes each week in a variety of different styles and skill levels. The teachers are all specialists in their field. Iquail Johnson is a Philadelphia native that began his career in dance at 13 after being accepted to the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. He continued his studies with PHILADANCO, Philadelphia Dance Company, and earned scholarships to attend The Julliard School, The Ailey School and The Paul Taylor School among others. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet from the University of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from SUNY Purchase, , Iquail has worked with dance companies including Ronald K Brown/Evidence, The Fred Benjamin Dance Company, and Subtle Changes. He has also appeared on Broadway in Hot Feet, The Lion King, and Purlie and is the Founding Artistic Director of Dance IQUAIL!
Iquail began teaching Horton, the dance style Alvin Ailey used as the foundation of his choreography, at The Ailey Extension in 2006. One might think that a dancer of his caliber would be climbing the walls trying to teach a roomful of nonprofessionals how to properly execute Locomotions, “Accented Runs,” “Hip Pushes” and “Leg Slices,” but Iquail enjoys working with the variety of students that pass through his class on a weekly basis. “The most interesting thing is to see the development,” he says. “You can see when they come in if they have no experience. But no matter where [the students] come in, at what level, you can always see the growth that happens, you can see the ‘a-ha’ moment, when finally after taking classes for three months, six months or even a year they start to get it and their body starts to understand it. And that is the beauty of it. When the body holds on to it, it is something that is undeniable,”
As a trained dancer, Iquail physique is the embodiment of perfection, but he also believes that dance is a great alternative to traditional exercise regiments. “Dance is a fabulous way to introduce people to movement. No matter what kind of culture you are from, movement is a part of our everyday life, even if it’s a pedestrian walking down the street, he says. “And the physical aspect is so integrated in dance,” he continues, “that its fun. You’re not thinking ‘Oh I have to do twelve more or I have thirty minutes.’ Also you are building cognitive skills, you’re developing comprehension skills, you’re coordinating your body, so at the end of the day you’ve developed your physicality, your mental state and your awareness of other people, and you packaged it with grace and elegance. You can’t get that working out.” When asked what technique he prefers and which technique should a new student learn first, Iquail jokingly replies, “Horton of course.” “It is a fabulous technique for a lot of different reasons,” he says, “One, it wasn’t created with one person in mind. A lot of modern dance was developed for one person, the creator of that particular style. Lester Horton decided not to let himself be the vehicle to express his technique, he used all the dancers around him, so that way he could make the technique work for no matter what body type you have.” But if a student comes into The Ailey Extension taking Horton, they do not have to stick with it. The staff and teachers at The Ailey Extension want you to feel connected to whatever classes you decide to take. With that concept in mind, The Ailey Extension has an open door policy where students can go from one class to the next, trying them out until they find a class and teacher that works for them.
After my brief conversation with Iquail, it was time for me to see him in action as he taught his Wednesday evening class. As I walked through the halls to the classroom the richness of spirits that have passed through this hallowed dance institution was almost tangible and completely entrancing. In fact, as soon as you step through the doors it is as if the weight of day drops at your feet. The more you walk, the more negativity is removed until you feel as clean as a newly christened baby. I like to think of myself as a spirit dancer, also known as a free-stylist. I hear the beat, and whatever comes out, comes out. I thought I could pull the journalist card and sit back and watch the class, but Iquail would have none of that. Of course having no formal training, I initially got tripped up by the terminology and stiffened up with the knowledge that was not dancing in a dimly lit room with strobe lights bouncing off the walls, but Iquail’s patience allowed my muscles to relax so that I could receive the dance. Iquail is no Debbie Allen banging the floor with her dance stick, but he is not Mr. Softee either. He pulls every inch out of you, making sure that you are extending and giving all you can to the movements. By the time my hour was over, I realized I had sweated just as hard and felt just as sore as if had ran a few miles or had danced for five hours. I left the class with a soul as rejuvenated as any time I danced a 10 -hour marathon at Club Shelter. As I walked out, I thought about something Iquail said about the legacy of Alvin Ailey, whose presence could still be felt in the building. “I think it has to do with taking dance away from dance. It has to do with the fact that [Mr. Ailey] touched people. And that everything he did was as a result of selflessness and generosity, and people gravitate to that, unbeknownst to them. His generosity was so strong that people can’t explain why when they go see Revelations, that it is something they have to return to see over and over again for the last fifty-two years. Now when you go see something fifty-two times, you’re like ‘Ok, now I’m tired,’ but to see something over and over again for fifty-two years, it becomes something that is transcendent. And I think that is why [AAADT] is such a global brand, because it is not about the dance. Dance is just a vehicle to tell people we are all connected. The dances are the same steps; it has something to do with the spirit.” What I learned is The Alvin Ailey Extension is more than just a place to learn dance steps or lose weight; it is a sanctuary to refresh your soul. The perspiration is just a bonus.
To learn more about The Ailey Extension, click
http://www.aileyextension.com/
Photos: Gabriel Bienczycki and Kyle Froman
Mistakes Were Made could be an apropos slogan for the Democrats considering the colossal clobbering they received on November 4 in Washington, but in this case Mistakes Were Made happens to be the title of a riotous play written by Craig Wright, directed by Dexter Bullard and showcasing the extraordinary talent of Michael Shannon.
Shannon plays Felix Artifex a man with big dreams and even bigger failures. He is a B-List (teetering on C-List) Off-Broadway producer whose character can best be described as one part good guy and three parts BS artist. Felix is obsessed with three things: bringing Mistakes Were Made to Broadway, contacting his estranged wife and feeding is fish to the point of peril. The audience is introduced to him sitting in a cluttered office filled with scripts, board games and posters of past pedestrian productions. Believing that Mistakes Were Made will emancipate him from the lackluster life he has led, the slippery slope Felix rides to utter insanity, then clarity begins with him on the phone trying to convince the Hollywood actor du jour to star in Mistakes Were Made, a play based on the French Revolution. When the actor begins to edit the script, Felix goes into schmooze mode feeding the actor a line of malarkey longer than 5th Avenue in order to get what he wants. He then does the same to playwright who refuses to change the play. With all the lines of his telephone blowing up, Felix slides deeper into an abyss of bombastic blunders as he tries to cajole then bully the young writer into altering his original vision all while desperately attempting to reach his wife and back out of a business deal gone awry.
The only thing keeping him sane is the reflective talks he has with Denise, his fish, while overfeeding her. He shares with her his dreams of making Mistakes Were Made a smash hit and of the mediocre career he has led which will surely be rectified with this show. The fish is the perfect reflection of his personality. Her ambition to eat every pellet of food will ultimately lead to her destruction as Felix’s half-truths will lead to his debacle. His constant reference to the title Mistakes Were Made is suitable considering he is making so many on his road to glory. Eventually his zealousness leads to an epic explosion of his dreams and the death of his beloved Denise. As he sinks to the floor in utter despair, I could not help but focus my eyes on the Sorry board game resting underneath a shelf. Perhaps that game exquisitely sums up his attitude about the events that have transpired. As the play closes Felix begins to earn the redemption he so desperately seeks as he ventures to repair the damage that he caused by calling the playwright to extend an olive branch.
So I ask can mistakes be a good thing. Absolutely when it involves Michael Shannon, he holds this riveting character study on his shoulders with the same ease as Atlas lifting up the world. Shannon makes Felix a shyster with a soul. His desire to become greater and repair past errors is relatable and commendable and the manner in which he does it is amusing as hell. Fueled by great dialogue, Mistakes Were Made is hands down the wittiest show I have seen all season. It is a comical glimpse of what happens behind the scenes of a production before it hits the stage. Mistakes Were Made will be playing at the Barrow Street Theatre until January 2, any theatergoer that misses this show will themselves have engaged in a folly that is unforgivable.
Photos: Ari Mintz
Jim Bono, a character in the play Fences, reminds the audience that fences are built to keep people out, but they can also be used to keep folks in. Within all us resides a shadow, an entity that houses our fears, doubts, anger, resentment, etc. It is our nature not to want to face the darkest part of ourselves. By not acknowledging our shadows we build a fence around it which only allows the shadow to remain and fester. Pulitzer Prize winning playwright August Wilson once stated, “Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.”
Fences is an intricate, dynamic story about baseball, marriage, family, infidelity and redemption, but mostly it is about the shadow that walks with us. Troy Maxson is a man that walks in his shadow, even if he does not know it. He is a man that is resentful about the hand he is forced to play in life. As a sanitation worker he provides a life for his family, but if the prejudices of the day had not prevailed Troy would have been a star baseball player in the major leagues. He has a wife, Rose, that willing to stick by him through the mundane disappointments life has hurled at them, but he desires more. He owns a home courtesy of the money his brother receives from the military after a brain injury suffered during the war. He harbors contempt for his father for the way he was treated, but does not realize how he imitates his father’s behavior. He has two sons. Lyons, the elder son who was not raised with him, has a strained connection with Troy. His youngest son, by Rose, only wants his father’s love and approval, but for Troy young, willful Corey may be his greatest test and he keeps striking out as he threatens to transfuse his bitterness to his son.
Denzel Washington is beyond brilliant in the role of Troy. Until one has witnessed Denzel Washington on stage, one can not truly fathom the talent that is inherent in this actor. Troy has all the characteristics of a certified, Grade A bastard, but Denzel Washington’s portrayal of this complex individual still compels the audience to like him and feel empathy for him. Viola Davis is sensational as Rose. Her performance turns a housewife into a heroine. Hollywood has yet to tap into the depth that this actress has to offer, whether on stage or screen her talent shines as bright as the morning sun and is as rare as a blue moon. Mykelti Williamson’s portrayal of Gabriel, Troy’s brother, is Bubba Gump on steroids – he is compelling and comical. Chris Chalk plays the rebellious Corey, Russell Hornsby plays Lyons and Stephen McKinley Henderson plays Jim Bono, Troy’s lifelong friend, all deliver pinch hits and bunts in their commanding performances.
The star power and expertise of this cast can only be compared to skill walking around in the New York Yankees’ locker room. Even Steinbrenner could not buy a better cast. Kenny Leon’s direction and the cast’s performances combine to be a Josh Gibson, cracked-bat home run out of the venue with the hardware to prove it. This revival of Fences garnered three Tony awards including Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Denzel Washington and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for Viola Davis.
The Cort Theatre could barely contain the energy on stage. I viewed the play from the last row of the balcony and I was on the edge of my seat leering at the stage through the entire production. When Gabriel blows his horn in the final scene signifying that a deceased Troy had made it to heaven, it felt that the audience had been redeemed along with him. This revival of Fences is the second trip of play to Broadway since its first Tony award-winning incarnation in 1987. Surely August Wilson’s presence must shadow all the actors on stage while they bring his material to back to life. There may not be any crying in baseball, but there is room to run the gamut of emotion in this production. No fence is big enough to hold this play.
Photos: Joan Marcus, http://fencesonbroadway.com.
Segregation and rock ‘n’ roll triumphed over corrupt government regimes and Afrobeat, men wearing wigs toppled Sondheim, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis swung and hit a homerun past the fences and Red is the new color of the Great White Way. If you are confused about what I was just referring to, then you missed the live broadcast of the 2010 Tony Awards on CBS.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
The stars of Broadway and Hollywood filled Radio City Music Hall while fans in Manhattan braved a downpour to watch a live simulcast of the event in Times Square. Sean Hayes did not disappoint, the Promises, Promises star and Tony nominee was just as enjoyable as the host of the Tony’s as he is on stage at the Broadway Theatre. The show opened with Sean Hayes tickling the ivories singing “Blue Suede Shoes” with Levi Kreis (Tony Award winner for Best Performance by a Featured Actor) and the cast of Million Dollar Quartet; he also accompanied fellow cast mate Kristen Chenoweth as she sang “I Say a Little Prayer.” The casts of Come Fly With Me, Fela!, La Cage Aux Folles and Everyday Rapture provided audiences at Radio City and at home with a small glimpse of why they were nominated and the opening number closed with the Green Day and the cast of American Idiot having stars like Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Will and Jada Smith clapping to their punk rock masterpiece.
Photo: J. Countess/WireImage.com
Although Fela! and La Cage Aux Folles accumulated 11 nominations, each only walked away with three awards. Bill T. Jones won for Best Choreography for Fela! and the musical centering on the Afrobeat pioneer/activist also won Best Sound Design of a Musical and Best Costume Design of a Musical. La Cage Aux Folles won Best Direction of a Musical, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Douglas Hodge. Catherine Zeta-Jones won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for A Little Night Music and Katie Finneran won Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of the hysterical Marge MacDougall in Promises, Promises. American Idiot won for Best Scenic Design of a Musical and Best Lighting Design of a Musical, but it was Memphis that took home the Tony for Best Musical as well as Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre.
Photo: J. Countess/WireImage.com
The Tony Awards were seeing Red literally; the play won the most awards of the evening including Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for Eddie Redmayne, Best Direction of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Play. The revival of August Wilson’s Fences won the Tony for Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Denzel Washington and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for Viola Davis. The beauty and talent of Scarlett Johansson lent itself well to the stage and garnered her Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Tony for her performance in A View from the Bridge.
Photo: J. Countess/WireImage.com
The main feature of any award show is the performances and the Tony Awards provide the best of any award show. Audiences were wowed by performances casts of Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, American Idiot and Fela! Catherine Zeta-Jones delivered a powerful performance of the Sondheim standard “Send in the Clowns” and brought her husband, Michael Douglas, to tears. This year marked the 64th anniversary of the Tony Awards and with it being a year away from the age of retirement I can confidently say that I see no departure any time soon. Exciting and provocative shows like Next Fall, American Idiot and Fela! are breathing new life into Broadway and changing the ideas of what a production can do, and revivals like Fences, La Cage Aux Folles and A View from the Bridge show why a classic stage production has staying power. Although Manhattan is battling through one of the worst global economic periods on record, Broadway proves why humans will always crave drama and a little night (or matinee) music.
Top Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com
If the five boroughs are the veins of New York City, than Times Square is the heart. It moves at a pace of 200 bpm and carries the electricity of a bolt of lightning. For the first time the Tony Awards will allow viewers to be able to watch the stars of Broadway on Broadway. The 64th Annual Tony Awards will be simulcast live to Times Square on Sunday, June 13th. This event is a collaboration between the Tony Awards, iXP Corporation and Times Square Alliance. The simulcast will air on a Clear Channel Spectacolor HD Screen. In addition to the live simulcast of NY1’s pre-show On STAGE’s Red Carpet to the TONY’s, the Times Square simulcast will feature special guests throughout the evening, including a special appearance by Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. The simulcast starts at 5:30 p.m. in Duffy Square and seats 1,000. FAMERS go to Times Square and be a part of Tony history.
Hosting an award show can be a daunting task. He/she should be funny without being too offensive, possess great style and have the ability to keep energy of the event high. This year the Tony Awards could have no better host than Sean Hayes. The Broadway rookie has been announced to be the host of the 64th annual award show that toasts the best of Broadway. “I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Tony Awards,” said Hayes. “As the new guy on Broadway, it’s an honor to be included in the established alumni.” While Hayes is a new comer to the Great White Way, he is definitely comfortable being center stage. Sean Hayes was a comedic sensation as Jack McFarland in the hit show Will & Grace, which ran for eight seasons on NBC. Currently he is wowing audience-goers at the Broadway Theatre in Promises, Promises. Witty, charming and full of liveliness, Sean Hayes should fare well as he joins the pantheon of legends that have hosted the Tony Awards. June 13th promises to be quite a night.
F.A.M.E NYC Magazine 