Saturday, February 23 at 8pm, the New York Philharmonic will be performing in Hill Auditorium! Come check out this prestigious ensemble alongside the UMS Choral Union as they wow the audience with fantastical overtures by both Brahms and Mozart. It is sure to be a stellar performance!
So, where will you be Saturday, February 23 at 8pm?
Hope to see you there 🙂
http://ums.org/performances/new-york-philharmonic <-- more info on the performance!
Martha Graham Dance Company
debauchery
The Martha Graham Dance Company gave a fabulous performance this weekend at The Power Center. I attended on Friday night, though they held performances on both Saturday, and Sunday (for families and children). I was late to the box office so I missed the first two pieces- a video montage by UM dance professor Peter Sparling and a Mary Wigman adaptation called “Witch Dance” (shown above). Unfortunately, therefore, I don’t have much to report on those two, except that I learned that there are tv’s stationed outside the theater doors so that late comers can at least glimpse the action on the stage within.
Once inside, I sat to enjoy the three main pieces of the evening. The first was called “Every Soul is a Circus.” One of Martha Graham most famous pieces, it was first performed in 1939 starring Martha Graham herself plus her student at the time and famous choreographer-to-be, Merce Cunningham. The story line followed a woman who imagined herself as the apex of a lover’s triangle between herself, The Empress of the Arena, The Ring Master and The Acrobat. With theatrical props such as whips, stools, balancing beams, curtains, and ribbons of fabric hanging from the ceiling, the set what an unmistakable gilly. The color scheme was bright and bold. Orange, yellow, red, pink, blue, and green glowed in the stark lighting as animated elements of the story. I understood a great deal of the plot from watching the movement of the dancers and the spatial relationships between them, but the program shed more light on the undertones of the masterpiece. At the time of Martha Graham’s choreography, Freud was becoming popular in the United States. She was influenced by his deep and unexpected inner psychological theories. Her story “Every Soul is a Circus” tells of our unconscious fantasies, the debauchery of our desires and self-absorption.
The second piece was a three part recreation of Graham’s famous solo piece “Lamentations.” In 2007, the Martha Graham Company performed a tribute to September 11th. Under the artistic direction of three choreographers, the company designed and performed three pieces within 10 hours each. They are entitled “Lamentation Variations” and all struck a chord with the audience of deep sorrow and longing. The first featured four nearly nude dancers moving languidly to operatic singing. The third piece showcased the entire company. Dressed in pedestrian clothing, they mimicked a street scene of citizens who each experienced loss and comfort among each other. The second piece was the most striking of the night. It featured one female dancer who, for the duration of the dance, moved slowly and jerkily from one end of the stage to the other. Struggling to advance, she stepped toward a glaring spotlight, accompanied by a screeching, heavenly chorus of metallic angel’s voices. It was strong because of its simplicity; it pushed the concept of a “dance” in a pensive and elegant way.
The final piece of the evening was called “Night Journey.” It was an adaptation of the myth of the Oedipus complex, though it was told from the point of view of the mother, Jacosta. Like the first piece, the theme was inspired by Freud’s influence on the American psyche. The dance was colorful and seamless, involving large props and flowing costumes. The interaction between Jacosta and her son, Oedipus, was highly sexualized and lustful, though infused with intermittent and distorted flashbacks of her lover as her infant. The sexual display was not shocking to the Power Center audience of 2013, though I imagine when the piece debuted in 1947 it was quite scandalous.
After the show, Peter Sparling, the company’s artistic director, and the dancers who portrayed Oedipus and The Empress of the Arena held a Q&A in the auditorium. What I learned about the company was that they were deeply impacted by the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Their entire warehouse of original costumes and sets was submerged in water for almost two weeks. They are just beginning the process of restoration, though a rich history of the culture and the company was lost in the storm.
At the very end of the evening, I approached the stage and introduced myself to Katherine Crockett, the principal dancer. She is famous for many dof her roles including Cate Blanchett’s double in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” This may seem like a forward move on my behalf but it was a prearranged meeting. My aunt is a dance teacher for many of the major companies in NYC. Katherine Crockett is one of her best students. I told her to say hi to my aunt for me next time she takes her class. She was so genuine and excited to meet me- nothing at all like her cooky role as the Empress of the Arena. A true performer!
Martha Graham Dance Company
This Friday and Saturday, the Power Center welcomes The Martha Graham Dance company. Martha Graham (1894-1991) is considered the mother of modern dance and her company is one of the oldest and most celebrated in the country. Her experimental movement methods have become the parent of a number of powerful 20th century names in the dance world. Her choreography is replete with infectious human emotion: sorrow, longing, joy, perseverance, and a reverence for the mythical. Her company’s performance at the Power Center will be moving and well worth the ticket!
The Friday and Saturday night shows differ in each program structure. The first evening will feature several short pieces while the second features two long pieces, all choreographed by Martha Graham. In addition to the show at the Power Center, there are several events that capitalize on the company’s presence in Ann Arbor. At 7:30 pm on Wednesday January 23rd, the YMCA will host a Graham technique training session. No dance experience necessary! No Y membership necessary either. Just come ready to move and learn a thing or two about the technique. Also, on Friday at 4 pm, Dance Department professors Peter Sparling and Clare Croft will hold panel discussion about Martha Graham profound impact on human expression. The talk will take place in Room 100 of the Hatcher Library.
For more information about the company, click here. For ticket info, go to ums.org or the box office at the League. See ya there!
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET
Last weekend, the Aspen Santa Fe performed at the Power Center. It was a rainy Sunday and I spent the morning eating brunch at a hole-in-the-wall cake shop on the Old West Side called Jefferson Market and then watching the matinée performance. The indulgent outing felt both classic and obsolete: When was the last time I, a.) attended a ballet or b.) went to a matinée that was preceded by brunch on the town? My only justification was that going to the performance was required for my ballet class. But I am very glad that it was because the dance itself was truly a spectacle.
The show was visually stunning, incredibly professional, tightly rehearsed, and impressively physical. The presentation was a breath taking combination of artistry and athleticism that I have rarely seen. The costumes revealed a great deal of skin and muscle on both males and females that really made me wonder how many crunches they all do per day. Half the drama of the show was simply the chiseled appearance of their abs and buns. I’m serious.
The piece was comprised of three acts; Square None (2012), Stamping Ground (1983), and Over Glow (2011). Each act differed from the next in its score, its choreography, its costumes design, and its lighting scheme, but it was clear that they were intended to be a part of a unified, coherent performance.
The first piece used grey lighting and darker musical tones while the second used no music and bright lighting. The first two appeared to make commentary on modern culture: the first was structured around bionic, wind-up-doll-like gestures. The second was very animalistic and primitive, using the body as a drum to make rhythms rather than electronic sound. (The second piece was by far my favorite; it was the most animated, relatable, and story-like whereas the other were more theoretical and abstruse). The last piece was the prettiest, with pastel colors and graceful lifts, leaps, and pirouettes. It was lovely to watch, but was my least favorite act because it felt sort of flat in comparison to the creativity in the previous two.
One thing I have not mentioned yet is the fact that this kind of ballet is not like Swan Lake or The Nutcracker. It’s not classical ballet, its neo-classical; its contemporary. It uses the same structure and techniques as ballet (straight legs, delicate fingers, turned out feet) but also incorporates movement that more resembles modern dance. Contemporary ballet allows for a greater breadth of movement and does not adhere as strictly to the lines set forth by the original forms of classic ballet. In many ways, especially after seeing Aspen Santa Fe’s performance, I find myself drawn to this genre. It is still both pretty and recognizable, but also fluid, creative, and unusual.
Sunday brunch and a matinée at the Power Center is one of the easiest assignments I’ve ever been given. Oh, and one last fun fact about the costume design from Square None was that it was designed by Project Runway celebrity contestant Austin Scarlett. Who knew.
Speaking as someone who knows Little Women the Musical, as in memorized the soundtrack, researched the musical history, and followed the actors who have played the roles in the show, the performance of the students of the Musical Theatre department fit the way I’d imagined the show nearly perfectly. It was actually a little spooky how well cast everyone was to their characters:
Jo March, played by Jane Bruce, was absolutely perfect. Quirky, lively, and strong, she played Jo March with perfection. In many incidences throughout the play, I was brought to tears by her emotional and heart-warming vocal performance and gut-wrenchingly truthful interpretation of the character.
Furthermore, the character of Marmee March, the mother of the March sisters, by Katherine Thomas, was equally as impressive. One of my favorite songs of the show is “Days of Plenty,” where Marmee urges Jo to have faith that the death of her sister Beth is not completely in vain, encouraging, “You have to believe, there is reason for hope.” She performed it beautifully and did not disappoint.
All of the characters had amazing chemistry. Laurie, played by Joel Sparks, was dorky, adorable, and lovable. He fit the role perfectly, but in a different way than I’d previously imagined his character. It was for the better, I’d say, that Laurie’s character wasn’t the dashingly handsome hero who won Amy March’s heart but brought the audience to tears when he didn’t end up with his best friend Jo. I felt his interpretation of Laurie was fitting in that you saw, even from the beginning, that Laurie and Jo would never last together, at least on Jo’s end. I think the chemistry between Laurie and Amy overpowered any feelings of disappointment that anyone felt for the lack of union between Laurie and Jo.
The role of Professor Bhaer, played by Trevor St. John Gilbert, was equally as ideal. I felt he really understood how he and Jo fell in love: amongst bickering, arguments, but in the end, beneath a shared, “Small Umbrella in the Rain.”
Even the opening scene was magnificent. They had all the characters flying through the stage, ascending and descending from all sides, and moving set pieces with ease and distinguished flair. I saw the entire play as a story, seen through Jo’s eyes, set in the magical attic of the March household. Perfection.
This musical was tremendous and the entire cast did such a fantastic job. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to see this play performed (finally!!!) and I can now put a proper backdrop behind my favored and well-loved Little Women soundtrack.
March 22,2010
Ok, in today’s age, an answer to the above question is just a click away. It is convenient but do we really grasp the information? Does the life of Chekhov unfold in front of your eyes? And so the “Who is….” series from the UMS, was very informative and entertaining. And relevant. As it was looking at Chekhov’s life in order to understand more about “Uncle Vanya”.
“Who is Anton Chekhov” consisted of two parts- a presentation on Chekhov’s life by Professor Makin and a talk by Kate Mendeloff about the challenges in directing “Uncle Vanya”. There was also a scene from “Uncle Vanya”, enacted by Residential College students.
Professor Michael Makin, from the department of Slavic Studies, started this presentation on Chekhov, in his very charming accent. His delivery was quick and very erudite and it goes to show how well he knows the subject matter at hand. Anyway, so who was Anton Chekhov?
Unlike all the popular Russian writers who were counts or members of the Russian nobility, Anton Chekhov was born to a serf as the third of six surviving children. He attended a gymnasium- comparable to our English grammar school. His father went bankrupt and fled to Moscow leaving his children and wife behind. Anton joined medical school and also took over the responsibility for the whole family. To pay his tuition fess and to support his family, he wrote stories and sketches.
He became a physician and suffered from tuberculosis for a long time. Chekhov didn’t take his writing seriously until Dmitry Grigorovich, one of the leading Russian writers of the time sent him a letter telling him about his immense talent. Chekhov’s artistic ambition bloomed and he soon won a Pushkin Prize for the short-story collection- “At Dusk”. From being the son of an impoverished serf, he became a landowner when he bought the small estate of Melikhovo.
Ok, so how is this all relevant?
It is important for us to understand Chekhov as a person before we understand Chekhov as a playwright or writer- as most of who he was and what he valued can be reflected in his characters and work. Well, Chekhov wrote what he saw and about a life that he was immersed in. His writings abound with references to the simple country life and the trials faced by a Russian in those days. It is also important to understand his background as to why he stands out from among the other Russian writers.
That said, Professor Makin told us that as a playwright, Chekhov was a flop initially. His plays “the Sea Gull” and “the wood demon” were fiascos when they were first staged. To some extent, they were way ahead of their times as they lacked the melodrama. They were waiting for the right people to act and direct it. Everytime, Chekhov failed as a playwright, he threatened never to return to it. But he always came back.
The innovative Moscow Art Theatre found by Stanislavski for doing “naturalistic” theatre was what Chekhov needed. The production of “The Seagull” by Stanislavski was a huge success. Subsequently, Chekhov wrote his other plays for the Moscow Art Theatre and “Uncle Vanya” is one of them.
“Uncle Vanya” is the story of Vanya (duh!), who is the uncle of Sonya (Actually it is a cleaned-upversion of “The wood demon”). He takes care of Sonya’s farm which was bequeathed to her by her now deceased mother. The two of them send the proceeds from the farm to Professor Serebryakov. The Professor marries a woman who is very young , Elena and sicne he can’t afford to live in the city anymore, he comes back to the country estate. This arrival causes such a ruckus in the lives of Vanya and Sonya.
So the plot is about Vanya feeling that he has totally wasted his life and what he does. Why Chekhov called it a comedy is unclear. Though it has a few laughs in it, I don’t think it is comedy.
Professor Kate Mendeloff explained how Chekhov and his plays helped in actually laying out the foundation of the rules for all theatre and acting today. The techniques and methods developed by Stanislavski are taught in every drama school today.
Residential college is putting up a production of “Uncle Vanya” which Mendeloff is directing. They enacted a scene from it. It was the opening act where the “long night” where the professor keeps everyone up by his constant griping is shown. It was interesting and cleverly done.
On the whole, it was a very interesting session. It made me wonder as to how how much of the writer was in the character they created and how much of it was what the writer wanted to be.
