Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company is coming to the Power Center this weekend! A cast of 6 women will be performing her work “Untitled Feminist Show”. Just from the name it is obvious this play combines two passions of mine: theater and feminism. The show is not done in a “classic” form of theater but more experimentally: it is performed completely in the nude and the actresses never speak. Instead the production utilizes music, projections, and movement to create its story about the female experience. One review from Hilton Als of The New Yorker states that “…part of what makes it so transcendent is its delicious ability to alternate the pain of being different with a sense of humor about lives not lived among the status quo”.
Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes (picture from UMS website)
I have never seen Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company perform but I’m excited for what’s in store. Its going to be both a thought-provoking and enchanting evening!
Performances are Thursday, January 21st, at 7:00 pm and Friday, January 22nd, at 8:00 pm. Thursday evening, on the show’s opening night in Ann Arbor, there will be a 15 minute pre-show talk in the Power Center lobby. Tickets are $20 for students and range from $20-44 for adults.
The show has a run time of 60 minutes. It is recommended for mature audiences, due to the large amount of nudity.
Sunday night I attended a screening of National Theater Live: Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” at the Michigan Theater. People of varying ages found reasons to brave the cold on that chilly evening. The younger age group could be heard chattering excitedly about BBC’s “Sherlock” and expressing anticipation for seeing the TV series’ star, Benedict Cumberbatch, perform as Hamlet. The older crowd formed into their own groups, talking and occasionally bursting out in praise of “Shakespeare…” before the rest of their wisdom about the subject got lost in the babble. And there were college students, somewhere inbetween, drawn to the event because of its combination of all of the above. I arrived around 6:30 and in the next half hour the room continued to steadily fill, the noise growing in proportion to the increase in people.
The lights dimmed and there was a scramble to quickly get back into seats from the bathroom. We were first treated to an interview with Benedict Cumberbatch. During the interview, in which myself and the rest of the audience at the Michigan Theater laughed at his good natured jokes and anecdotes, Cumberbatch made a comment that was one of my largest take-aways from the evening. He referred to the “universality” of the play. This pre-show event also included following Cumberbatch to a school where children performed a section of the famous “to be or not to be” speech for him. Once again, this interaction speaks to the universal nature of the issues Hamlet faces. Anyone and everyone can relate to his situation; a fact that was mirrored in the diverse age range that made up the audience in the theater Sunday night.
(As I will not be summarizing the play here, I’ve provided a link to the Wikipedia page for the curious reader who would like to know more about the story or the history of the play in general: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet )
The first element to catch my attention was the set and the lighting. Hamlet’s castle was giant! The doorways and walls towered over the tiny actors the entire show. They seemed to be playing almost in a dollhouse. In fact, there was a toy motif that was prevalent throughout the show. As Hamlet feigns madness, he not only dons the garments of a toy soldier, but actually plays with a “miniature” castle (Cumberbatch could fit inside it easily but its size was small in comparison to the looming set) and life sized toy soldiers. The idea of toys and playthings became connected with Hamlet’s increasing distress.
The lighting throughout was beautiful! It allowed Hamlet’s house and its giant proportions to remain onstage the entire show, even for scenes that took place outside, all because the lighting guided our eyes. We felt we were outside. This is ingenious not only in its creativity (bringing outside indoors and vise versa) but it also allowed for seamless transitions from scene to scene. Both the set and the lighting create a mysterious mood that heightened the idea of the actors being toys in a game. This seemed to bring a greater emphasis on the idea of fate in the play.
We also saw the sense of place reflect the growing deterioration of the royal family and their household. Right before intermission, as Claudius states his final line, the entire stage was showered in what looked to be black confetti. Upon the opening of the second half, we see that the stage had been transformed: The dirt or ash that covered the entire stage was also heaped in the doorways. While it still irritates me that I am unsure whether this was supposed to be dirt or ash, the message was clear: The unclean house represented the growing uncleanliness of the royal family as they all delved deeper into murder and deception. The idea is amazing! I do wish, however, that it had been done in a way that any person watching would have known exactly what was being blown all around the stage. I spent precious time trying to figure that out instead of watching the actors.
Benedict Cumberbatch was at the center of this production from the beginning. NT Live encouraged this as well by making a special interview with him the first thing we saw. I am a big fan of his work, and “Hamlet” especially is a play that is carried by its leading character. Cumberbatch did not disappoint! His Hamlet focused a lot on the humor in the character. He acknowledged Hamlet’s sometimes bizarre nature, even when he was not faking madness. And that was what made this performance so amazing. Benedict Cumberbatch made you love Hamlet; when he started to act in questionable ways (ways that would make you despise Hamlet if he was portrayed by a lesser actor), the audience was still rooting for Hamlet until the very end.
Photo Credit: Johan Persson (Photo from UMS website)
Hamlet was never my favorite character because I always thought it was hard to be sympathetic towards him. He seemed to be handling everything so poorly right from the outset, how could it end any other way? But that opinion changed Sunday. That Hamlet was smart and trying his very best to make everything right: I honestly wanted him to come out on top, even though I knew the ending. Cumberbatch walked the line well between Hamlet faking madness and slowly, actually descending into a form of madness as his character became increasingly overwhelmed. As I watched Cumberbatch’s performance on Sunday night, one of the turning points for the character was his monologue where he calls himself “a coward” and “a villain”. The other was, of course, the “to be or not to be” speech. The simple fact that I can pinpoint those speeches as significant to the character makes Cumberbatch’s performance one to be remembered.
While Cumberbatch barely left the stage, he was supported by a cast of amazing talent. All cast members seemed to be in a constant emotional readiness and every reaction was believable. Of particular note was the character of Polonius, played by Jim Norton. Norton added new depth and humor to a character I had never given a great amount of thought to. But his portrayal was such, grabbing each moment and making it mean something, that he became my second favorite.
One of my other favorites in the performance was Sian Brooke, who played Ophelia. I had always strongly disliked the character of Ophelia because she is the trope of the stereotypical weak and distressed female. But in this production, Brooke gave her new agency. Or at least allowed me to see her in a new way. In this more contemporary version, Ophelia had a camera. She took pictures and she saw things. She liked Hamlet but was told to stay away from him. She was continually manipulated both verbally and physically by the men around her. She was often being grabbed and dragged somewhere by men who supposedly cared for her. It shed a new light on the patriarchal powers that surrounded her and how this, combined with the death of the father, eventually drove her to take her own life.
While watching a filmed version of a live theatrical performance is never the same as actually being there (and the act of seeing it through a film media changes some of the impressions), I thoroughly enjoyed my Sunday evening. It was a great show that offered something for everyone and helped to bring this story, now 400 years old, to a new audience!
How Much: $12 for students, varying prices for adult tickets ($14-$66)
Why you should go? Because there is nothing better than listening to a leading jazz orchestra on a Wednesday night. You will get the chance to hear Vincent Gardner croon on his trombone and Wynton Marsalis will make you swoon with his trumpet. Even if you are new to jazz, you will recognize some of the classic jazz songs of the last century being played and be tempted to sway along. No matter who you are, this concert is sure to be a hit that puts a smile on your face!
Sunday afternoon Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre was packed. The main floor was filled with Professors from the university and local theater patrons willing to pay a premium to get closer to the stage and the balcony was full of Vocal Performance majors and local high school students who were just as excited for the afternoon’s performance.
Jamie Barton’s much anticipated recital began promptly at four with an announcement from the stage: she’s sick. My heart immediately sank as I assumed she was cutting the recital short, or worse, had been replaced with a healthy singer to pacify the anxious crowd. The director of UMS explained how Jamie Barton had been a part of masterclasses at the university during the week, sang in another concert Friday, and was scheduled to sing at the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday (a performance which was live streamed to movie theaters around the world) in addition to this solo recital. Apparently, she knew that something had to give and, much to the relief of the audience, she had canceled her appearance at the Metropolitan Opera and would still present her recital in Ann Arbor.
Her entrance caused a hushed murmur to go through the audience – the beautiful mezzo whom everyone was expecting to come out in a spectacular gown was dressed in black snow boots, jeans and a graphic long sleeve shirt with white angel wings printed on the back. Martin Katz, the pianist for the evening, was dressed more casually than I have ever seen him dressed on a daily basis – much less a concert! Katz’s red button up shirt was hanging, untucked, over light wash jeans and shoes of the non-dressy variety. After the applause and murmurs died down Jamie Barton addressed the audience – apparently your luggage can be lost on a direct flight!
The recital itself was breathtaking. I have heard Jamie Barton perform live before and this (along with her intermittent coughing) was the only reason I could tell that she was under the weather. Even from my seat at the back of the hall, the timbre of her voice was clear and full for the vast majority of the music. The Turina set which began the performance brought my friend to tears and the Chausson set which followed (especially Le colibri and Hebe) were presented in a such sensitive, natural way that caused me to be deeply moved. The last piece of the Chausson set, Les temps des lilas, did not create this same effect as the acting become more of a performance and lost the naturalistic honesty of the previous pieces, however, Jamie Barton’s superb technique and musicality carried the piece well.
Intermission was unusually long as Jamie Barton’s luggage had arrived at the end of the standard intermission length and they had extended it to allow her to change into the gorgeous floor length gown that we had all expected her to wear.
The recital ended with Dvorak’s Gypsy Songs and two pieces by Rachmaninoff. The Gypsy Songs were especially strong – the rest which her voice received during intermission served her well and her voice was the fullest during this set. By the Rachmaninoff set her voice was clearly tired and rather than push through to perform the entire set (risking damaging her voice and performing them at a caliber less than her standards) one of the three pieces from the set was cut.
Jamie Barton presented a magnificent concert on Sunday – a true feat for someone so obviously sick – proving yet again, that the hair, the make up or the gown or even a voice singing to it’s full potential is not what intrigues the audience or moves the masses.
On January 10th at 4 pm Jamie Barton will present a recital at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre (located in the Michigan League) in collaboration with pianist Martin Katz. Winner of the 2015 Richard Tucker Award, winner of the Main and Song prizes at the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, a winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a Grammy nominee, Jamie Barton has performed at the most prestigious opera houses around the word.
The program will include five sets by Turina, Chausson, Schubert, Dvorak and Rachmaninoff.
Student tickets are available for $12 at the UMS ticket office.
As a person who loves exploring indie bands and local Michigan musicians, ending finals week (actually, day!) always has to do something with music. When I heard a Ypsi singer-songwriter Matt Jones was going to be performing at The Ark, I immediately put it on the agenda of my night (that continues into the next day, and Star Wars!!!!!)
Matt Jones seems to have a dry sense of humor but a very colorful childhood. His blog reads “MJ was raised by a combination of circus music and doo-wop,with a healthy dose of ragtime thrown in. His music has been known to suffer from colitis. The Reconstruction is his own assemblage, and sometimes, disassemblage. The core: Colette Alexander: cello, and Misty Lyn: vox.”
His music is deep yet beautiful. As Rachael Buttons describes his latest album, The Deep Enders, she says “Matt Jones writes haunting songs. February songs. Songs that get under my skin and seep into my short stories. Songs that remind me of the rust belt and the south, of ice chunks floating in Great Lakes and men in jeans haloed by cigarette smoke, and silhouettes leaning against brick walls at night. He has a voice like Elliott Smith. He plays ragtime piano, and he writes lyrics that make me wonder why he isn’t more famous.”
I am excited to feel the music get under my skin. Feel the goosebumps taking over my body and having my head feel dizzy with the resonating emotion in every word. As a writer, I want his music to make me make stories and see places I haven’t been to. If I find my “jam” (in more colloquial terms, but utterly disrespectful to this kind of beautiful music) after this night, or probably songs to nurse a broken heart or lay in bed and have a fantastic story created for me, just by me – I will say this will be the best end to my semester!
Doors Open: 7:30 pm
Show Starts: 8:00 pm
Ticket Price: $15
Link to the event: http://www.theark.org/shows-events/2015/dec/17/matt-jones-reconstruction
