Jordin Sparks Reignites In the Heights
Or at least that was the title I envisioned in my head as I strolled in the misty rain to catch the Sunday matinee at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. So imagine my surprise when I was told Ms. Sparks would not be playing the role of Nina as I had greatly anticipated. Disappointed, I pouted to my seat, sat down and waited for the curtain to rise.
In the Heights blew onto Broadway in 2008 like a breath of fresh air tempered with a hint of Sazón. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator and the first incarnation of Usnavi, shined a spotlight on the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights and struck gold. The mix of salsa and hip-hop set to an orchestra was a concoction critics ingested well. The show won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Original Score, Choreography and Orchestration. The cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. In November 2008, Universal Pictures announced plans to make a film adaptation of In the Heights with Kenny Ortega slated to be the director. By January 2009, the musical had recouped its $10 million investment and began a national tour in October. On August 2, 2010, the production marked its 1000th performance. The whirlwind of success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ground-breaking homage to his childhood community ushered in a new era on Broadway and paved the way for musicals that fused more vibrant genres of music and choreography such as Fela! and Rock of Ages.
Since its debut, several members of the original cast have left the show. Miranda’s last performance on Broadway was in February 2009. Lin-Manuel is the heart and soul of this musical and with the replacement of several cast members I wondered had the show lost its mojo. Jordin Sparks would undoubtedly make a great addition. The “American Idol” winner has great vocal range and is guaranteed to fill seats just from her fan base alone. But with the musical’s newest cast member sitting out this performance, would the show just be a ghost town filled with espiritus of what used to be?
Once the curtain rose, I was pleased to discover that the spirit of In the Heights is still bursting with energy and is as entertaining as the original incarnation that debuted on Broadway over two years ago. The torch was well handed from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Kyle Beltran who now plays Usnavi, the narrator who owns neighborhood bodega. His portrayal of the character is sensitive, funny with a sick flow and cadence that does justice to Miranda’s lyrics and is sure to keep the audience heads’ bopping. Gabrielle Ruiz was an impressive Nina. She was so convincing that I almost forgot that she was the understudy. Clifton Oliver is irresistible as Benny; one can not help but root for him to win Nina’s heart. Olga Merediz is sensational as Abuela Claudia, the neighborhood matriarch. Her performance is both endearing and captivating. And although Merediz is a scene stealer, Andrea Burns commits highway robbery on stage as the vivacious salon owner and barrio gossip Daniela. With a beautiful voice and hilarious one-liners, Burns transforms a busybody into one of the most engaging characters in the show. Rick Negron and Priscilla Lopez shine as Kevin and Camila Rosario, Nina’s parents. Their portrayals exude pride and integrity and are relatable to anyone in the audience that has known hard times or experienced parenthood.
The book by Quiara Alegria Hudes was slightly slammed when In the Heights first debuted. Critics have called the book “overstuffed and oversimplified” and “sentimental and untruthful.” I find these critiques to be inaccurate. In fact, I thought the book to be an authentic portrait of life in an inner-city neighborhood. I know cast In the Heights well. I am familiar with people who dream of scoring a big hit playing the lottery, desire to move somewhere different, gossip at the neighborhood beauty parlor, struggle through hard times while trying to hold a family together and watch their neighborhood change as decades, generations and traditions change. Where I am from there are a mixture of salsa, hip-hop, house, reagge and R&B blasting from the windows of cars rolling down the street, the bodega on the corner services the needs of the residents of the block and around the corner I can get my touch-up, manicure and laundry done. If there is anything to criticize, it would be that book was not a big enough leap for those that may have grown up in a similar environment. People go to Broadway to escape their everyday lives; it is hard break away when your reality is onstage staring back at you.
Essentially it is the music and choreography that draws an audience to a musical; the reality that is woven into the story only adds to a stellar production. At times I wanted to jump on stage, roll my hips and heel, toe right along with them. The songs are memorable; I find myself humming them sporadically. “No Me Diga” and “Carnaval del Barrio” are audience pleasers and “Paciencia y Fe” (Patience and Faith) is a showstopper. I wish I could provide 96,000 reasons to go see this musical, but I can only offer three – great music and lyrics, likable characters and high-powered dance moves. After two years and counting, In the Heights is still a winner.
Photos: Joan Marcus
Duel on the Couch: Freud’s Last Session
When attending the theatre, the audience expects to be entertained and enlightened. Whether it is a musical, comedy or drama, patrons want to see a fresh, live perspective of the human experience. Freud’s Last Session is the epitome of entertainment and enlightenment keeping the audience firmly glued to the edge of their seats. It is sophisticated fiction at its finest, a production worthy to be seen again and again.
Based on a suggestion proposed by Harvard’s Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. in The Question of God, Freud’s Last Session turns a simple query into an engaging theatrical sensation. Playwright Mark St. Germain probes one of the greatest “what if” questions of the 20th century and tackles some of the most debated questions in human history with immense insight and savoir vivre. The “what if” is whether or not Dr. Sigmund Freud or C.S. Lewis ever met. Dr. Nicholi points out in The Question of God that a young Oxford professor visited Dr. Freud after he arrived in England, although it was unclear if the professor was C.S. Lewis. But the speculation of such an event is of no consequence, Freud’s Last Session will satisfy any curiosity one might have when wondering how an epic encounter of two of the most intelligent minds to ever set footprints on this earth would go.
The play is set in Dr. Freud’s home office in London on September 3, 1939, the day England enters World War II. C.S. Lewis arrives at Freud’s home believing their meeting is to be a chiding by Freud about Lewis’ depiction of him in a book, but what really intrigues Freud is C.S. Lewis’ transformation from an atheist to a Christian. Their meeting evolves into an awesome intellectual standoff that would have Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef shaking in their boots. As the threat of annihilation looms like plumes of smoke from a newly shot cannon, these men go back and forth on the subjects of sex, love, and most importantly, does God truly exist. As Freud and Lewis introspectively grapple, both revealing details about their childhood and experiences, they gain greater insight about one another and develop a profound bond. Evidence of the intimacy of their new and brief relationship is displayed when Lewis is allowed the sacred task of removing Freud’s prosthetic jaw as he begins to choke, a duty that is only performed by Freud’s daughter Anna.
Everything about this production is limited – limited characters, limited set and limited theatre seating, but the constraints serve as advantages in this production. The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater adds another intimate layer to this meeting of the minds. Instead of feeling like an audience member viewing a conversation, one feels more like a fly on the wall privy to an exclusive event. The set is a beautifully decorated replica of Freud’s office in Austria complete with an assortment of books, couch, and various deities, which could reveal some contradictions in Freud’s belief structure as Lewis cleverly points out. The set inserts a material richness that compliments the dialogue and compelling portrayals of C.S Lewis and Dr. Freud by Mark H. Dold and Martin Rayner. Portraying a historic figure can be a difficult endeavor for an actor; especially individuals that are considered demigods, Dold and Rayner are so believable that I left the theatre feeling as if I had personally met Dr. Freud and C.S. Lewis. These two men played off of each other extremely well; together they gave a performance so concentrated an addition of another character would have weakened the harmony of the show. In a nutshell, the components of this play have all the classic quality of a Channel suit and exemplify the theory that less is more.
What I enjoyed most about the production was that Freud’s Last Session left my mind swirling with all the right questions, but none of the answers. It challenged me to seek them out and discover my own conclusions. In the wake the 9th anniversary of September 11 and the controversy surrounding the “ground zero” mosque, I realized the questions Freud and Lewis toil over during the play are more relevant than ever. We may never find the answers, just as Freud’s and Lewis’ deliberation ends in a stalemate, but the fact that we still seek the answers means that as a society we are still able to grow past our current understanding of the world, a notion that I believe would please both Dr. Freud and C.S. Lewis very much.
Photos: Kevin Sprague
New York Fashion Week Spring 2011
FAMERS, I hope you have enjoyed the slide shows of some of my favorite collections and designers from New York Fashion Week. Fashion Week is one of my favorite times of year; each season I am swept in a cyclone of myriad prints, fabrics, color palettes, flashing lights, celebrities, red carpets, cocktails and beautiful people on parade. The tornado that descended upon the Big Apple on the final day was beyond poetic and gave a dramatic closing to a week filled with spectacular moments.
The electricity surrounding the spring 2011 shows created stimulating currents that were sparking the atmosphere well before the start of Fashion Week and added to the heat of an already humid New York City summer. The unveiling of Fashion Week’s new venue at the iconic Lincoln Center only heightened the anticipation. I was a mix of nostalgia and great expectation. I love Bryant Park, my first behind-the-scenes fashion experience happened there, but Lincoln Center is a magnificent venue and a staple in New York City arts and culture and no event synthesizes all the elements of New York City art and culture like Fashion Week. Somehow I always feel like Dorothy skipping through the Fabulous Land of Oz in four inch heels. Only here, there are multiple wizards dictating what is hot to all its inhabitants from the elite down to the munchkins.
The debut of Fashion Week at Lincoln Center marked the ushering of this event into the new millennium. Courtesy of Fashion GPS, invitations were sent electronically. After setting up an account, one could RSVP for a show and receive an email with a confirmation number. Instead of crossing over the threshold to the tents and treading through the cobblestoned spectacle of Bryant Park, I sauntered through the doors of Fashion Week at Lincoln Center to find a chic, two-tiered lounge, a gateway complete with a modern self check-in stations waiting to take the privileged to a stylish stop. Destination Fashion should be the name of this locale change. Lincoln Center proved to be the perfect venue to house Fashion Week and provided an air of sophistication that was missing from the tent shows at Bryant Park. The lounge was surprisingly spacious with lots of seating room and a sunken in media lounge provided by AOL. The 16.3 acre performing arts complex complimented the shows and offered on-lookers a wonderful backdrop to gather and gawk at celebrities, dandies, hipsters, fashionistas and the truly bizarre.
This season Fashion’s Night Out felt like New Year’s Eve, the streets were percolating with people as the boutiques and flagship stores held events throughout the city. As hordes of people packed retail locations, I chilled at Caravan’s event at the SkyRoom Times Square. As the DJ mixed an eclectic blend of old school hip-hop, pop and house that was reminiscent of the Paradise Garage and Nell’s, guests mingled on the rooftop overlooking Gotham and sipped tasty coffee flavored Bailey’s cocktails, kudos to Caravan girl Claudine DeSola for providing cool way to celebrate a hot night.
The events, parties and celebrity watching that surrounds Fashion Week are always fun, but the real stars of New York Fashion Week are the shows. Perry Ellis’s John Crocco offers a blend of preppy snob and So Cal chill. “Westward the women” had to be the battle cry of Ralph Lauren’s homage to frontier chic, never to be outdone with imaginative to present American fashion, his spring 2011 collection would make any woman feel homey, sexy and stylish on the range. “Urban Forest” was the theme of Toni Francesc spring show complete with intricate wood pieces that adorned the neckline and wrists. Any urban woman would feel like Diana the huntress conquering the skyscraper jungle of Manhattan in his fashions. If Toni Francesc took women into the woods, then Gwen Stefani took us on an urban safari. L.A.M.B offered bright Kente cloth prints and tie-dye outfits that would make any woman skip to the Afrobeat. Vivienne Tam’s eastern influences created hodgepodge elegance. Gottex’s Molly Grad sent some of the blingiest fashions down the runway. Don’t be surprised if you see swimwear becoming the hot outfit to wear outside of the beach. From diamond encrusted busts to minimalist structure, Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa proved why simplicity will always be in style. Donna Karan celebrated 25 years in fashion with “Raw Romance,” a collection of ripply sandy pieces that proved crinkles are chic. Oscar de la Renta always offers upscale extravagance and this season did not disappoint. Meanwhile, at the STYLE360 Lounge WALTER showed mysterious clouds of grey, charcoal, military green and ocean blue coupled with understated elegance. Caravan/Bobi/Boy Meets Girl offered charming street wear and flirty dresses and Bebe served boho beauty down the runway.
New York Fashion Week spring 2011 has been the most electric season I have witnessed in a long time. Maybe it was the inaugural season of Lincoln Center that supplied the jolt or maybe people just wanted to focus on something other than our never-ending economy woes, but hopefully this dynamism will be present in February as the eye of fashion’s whirlwind focuses on the Big Apple once again.
Photos: Jerritt Clark/Getty Images, www.mbfashionweek.com
Slideshow: F.A.M.E NYC Editor
Donna Karan Spring 2011
Photos: Imaxtree
Ralph Lauren Spring 2011
Photos: IMAXtree.com and Matteo Volta
Calvin Klein Spring 2011 Womens
Photos: Imaxtree
Calvin Klein Collection Mens Spring 2011
Photos: Marcio Madeira, FirstView.com
Oscar de la Renta Spring 2011
Photos: Imaxtree
Naeem Khan Spring 2011
Photos: Gianni Pucci, GoRunway.com
Toni Francesc Spring 2011
Photos: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images
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F.A.M.E NYC Magazine 