[note: many, if not most, of these links may no longer be working, but such is the nature of the digital. hopefully, the url and context are enough to help you find any further information you want. if not, feel free to contact me, and i’ll try to help.]
noviembre 2013
¡hola, difus@s!
ufff… this issue’s getting out a little late, as october was just a blur. the major dance events at BAM (forsythe and de keersmaeker) were both quite good—though admittedly not the most accessible—and, of the smaller scale performances there (in the fishman space), bryan brooks moving company was surprisingly good. equal parts circus, dance, and experimental theater, zimmerman and de perrot’s “hans was heir” was the biggest surprise for me, one of the month’s highlights—and a group i’ll look for in the future.
other highlights continuing into november include the musical version of fun home (some terrific numbers and just a compelling, heart-rending story), nico muhly’s two boys (beautifully staged with often gorgeous music) at the met, chris burden’s “extreme measures” at the new museum (a real triumph for both the artist and the museum), denis’ devastating bastards (she’s a, if not the, master of contemporary narrative cinema) and kechiche’s much-talked about blue is the warmest color (never mind the sex scenes—athletic and poorly lit as they are—the acting and story are incredible) at IFC film center. though i’ve mentioned this piece several times now, janet cardiff’s 40-part motet really is more than worth the trip to the cloisters, but, if you can’t get farther than chelsea, the serra shows at gagosian on 21st and 24th are impressive (independently of whether you dig serra, the logistics of their production, transport, and installation are mind-boggling).
things to keep your eye out for in the coming month include but are not limited to the following (and, as always, see the google calendar for a—more or less—complete listing):
festivals: both performa and lincoln center’s white light festival are on NOW. for performa, i’m checking out rashid johnson, ryan mcnamara, and jerome bel. for white light, i’m definitely seeing the jack quartet (they were great at the stone last month) and hoping to catch into great silence (a sublime work of film), but desh, the end of time, and mark morris dance company all look worthwhile.
dance: this weekend brings ballet preljocal’s and then, one thousand years of peace to BAM, and, though mixed, the guardian’s review of it from last year’s edinburgh festival makes me really excited to see it. hofesh schechter, who choreographed “two boys,” presents his sun at BAM this month, too, and jerome bel brings disabled theater to new york live arts as part of performa 2013. at danspace project, rashaun mitchell and silas reiner’s way in looks pretty sexy.
music: the tallis scholars’ “transcending time” (part of the white light festival) should be heavenly, featuring works from taverner through pärt and muhly (yes, he’s EVERYWHERE right now), and the orlando consort presents a strictly early music program at the church of st. mary the virgin (courtesy of columbia’s miller theater). le poisson rouge celebrates the 100th anniversary of benjamin britten’s birth with the rape of lucrecia (and BAM will present his billy budd in february).
theater: i’m most looking forward to the good person of szechwan, which has been glowingly reviewed by the times. julie taymor appears to be back in good form with a midsummer night’s dream at the theater for a new audience’s new home in brooklyn.
art: with performa 2013 running, performance art is pretty much the order of this month, but i do want to make an effort to see sophie calle’s show, “absence,” at paula cooper, christopher wool at the guggenheim, and “iran modern” at the asia society.
things to look out for in the not-too-distant future include general ticket sales for BAM’s spring season (i’m in for billy budd, river of fundament, lyon opera ballet, all three nights of cedar lake ballet, and the old woman), the COIL festival, the revival of sam mendes’ “cabaret” with alan cumming, a musical version of the gospel filtered through the songs of britney spears (i’m NOT joking—and i MUST see it), and, yes, yes, yes, you knew it was coming, daniel kitson’s world premiere of analog.ue at st. ann’s warehouse.
abrazos,
pablo