[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.]
enero 2019
feliz año, difus@s!
my december was a bit truncated performance-wise by the end-of-semester frenzy and some extended holiday travel, but, despite missing a lot i’d hoped to catch, i ended to the year on a high note with two of my favorite holiday shows, justin vivian bond at joe’s pub and the hard nut at bam. both delivered a perfect mix of joy, wonder, weltschmerz, and sass. the start of the month was equally good, with peter brook’s the prisoner (ineffably mythic, moving, and full of grace) and alfonso cuarón’s roma (ravishingly beautiful and deserving of all the praise it’s been getting—and PLEASE go see this in the cinema, where you can fully appreciate the sound design).
in between those highlights, how to learn was less cerebral than i’d hoped but quite entertaining and engrossing, strange window was technologically deft (as one expects from the builders association) and often wry (landing some terrific jabs at the ted-led edutainment / self-improvement complex), but it lacked the bite and edge needed to realize the source material’s full potential. dorrance dance’s elemental was interminably frustrating for me. i love art that engages popular genres / media with intellectual rigor and formal innovation, but, apart from nicholas van young’s sublime solo (which was the only thing that kept me in the theater), the show just trafficked in the kind of upper-middlebrow sentiment ("stomp! with park slope politics"?) for which i have neither affinity nor patience. even so, i’m glad to have seen the company, especially after all the macarthur-generated publicity.
january is, thanks to apap, full of performances worth catching, and some very reasonable festival pricing makes it much easier to take some risks.
performance + theater:several festivals showcase work from across the world and across the artistic spectrum, including the public’s renowned under the radar festival, the brooklyn-centric exponential festival, the labyrinth’s barn series, and the drama league’s directorfest. both the american realness and live artery festivals are terrifically inclusive, featuring much more experimental work. outside these festivals, (w/hole) at invisible dog is one work that has my interest piqued, as do is this a room? at the kitchen, i love white men at dixon place, bleach at tyler’s basement in bushwick, and secret identity at the flea. elevator repair service’s gatz begins at the end of the month and is definitely an event worth experiencing, especially as this run may be its last.
music: the annual new opera festival prototype is one of the month’s highlights—and a reminder of just how much better the metcould be doing in terms of supporting artistic innovation and cultivating new audiences. (both bric and new york city operaare showing promising new operas outside the festival.) the winter jazz festival, the ferus festival (which focuses on new music), and focus festival 2019: on the air! round out the month’s music festival offerings. ute lemper was a college favorite of mine, so i’m delighted to see she’s paying homage to marlene deitrich at joe’s pub this month. other performances that are high on my list of new year’s priorities are nath ann carrera (a long-time collaborator of justin vivian bond’s) and amber martin’s (mattachine dj-hostess and incredible vocalist) witch camp at wild project, academy of sacred drama presented by music before 1800, mass of dissolution at the kitchen, and jakub józef orliński at carnegie hall (i’ve long been a fan of countertenors, who seem to be enjoying greater popularity these days).
dance: in addition to the dance-inclusive american realness and live artery festivals noted above, the flea’s dance showcase 2019 and the joyce’s american dance platform and cuba festival offer a selection of works by a range of choreographers. among those, the malpaso dance company’s program is of most interest for me for its performances of works by ohad naharin and merce cunningham, whose centennial is being feted at anthology film archives this month (expect more such celebrating throughout the year). what i’m most excited to see this month, though, is anne teresa de keersmaeker / rosas at the baryshnikov arts center; after last fall’s park avenue armory performances, i’ve committed to seeing her shows at least twice whenever possible.
film: we’re quite fortunate to have worthwhile film series throughout the year, and this month is no exception. hou hsiao-hsien, pier paolo pasolini, and alfonso cuarón each have series dedicated to them this month, ifc hosts the first iranian film festival and the sopranos film festival, film society at lincoln center presents the new york jewish film festival, and the museum of the moving image showcases new films from around the work as part of its first look 2019 series. what is democracy? (a question that should be on everyone’s mind these days—and no, it’s not a “free market”), who will write our history?, jihadists, and “bridge to freedom, 1965” all feel urgent as we begin a new congressional term and start bracing for the incipient 2020 insanity. other films i’m eager to see this month are the latest from jean-luc godard (his earlier film socialisme plays this weekend) and nuri bilge ceylan (i’m a huge fan), as well as adina pintilie’s touch me not.
art: i have a long, long list of soon-to-be-closing museum shows i still need to see, to which i’ve now added shows at the neue galerie, the queens museum, the american folk art museum, and the bronx museum. if you’re already caught up on current museum shows, then look forward to lucio fontana at the met and mapplethorpe at the guggenheim, both opening at the end of the month. the gallery shows that are top of my list this month are mateo lópez at kasey kaplan, ann pibal at team gallery, catherine opie at lehmann maupin, and rodney graham at 303 gallery.
i hope the above and below (this month’s fulling listing is extensive) help you get 2019 off to a great start, and please feel free to share pablo difuso with anyone you’d like by directing them here!
abrazos,
p
enero / january
1-3: jacques tourneur, fearmaker (film)
1-6: the hard problem (theater)
1-8: rated x (film)
1-8: the contenders 2018 (film)
1-13: jungle (theater)
1-13: slave play (theater)
1-27: blue ridge (theater)
1-: nassim (theater)
2-8: genesis 2.0 (film)
2-: sir sidney poitier (film)
2: queen esther sings billie holiday (music)
3-4: cirque alfonse: barbu electro trad cabaret (performance)
3-5: full disclosure (music)
3-5: ravel's daphnis et chloe and dvorak (music)
3-5: witch camp (music, performance)
3-7: american dance platform (dance)
3-7: grey rock (theater)
3-7: stephen petronio company & martha graham dance company (dance)
3-13: bitch! dyke! faghag! whore! (performance)
3-13: under the radar festival (theater)
4-6: (w/hole) (art, film)
4-6: balletx & raphael xavier (dance)
4-6: dance showcase 2019 (dance)
4-6: pollock (theater)
4-8: complete cuarón (film)
4-8: ferus festival (music)
4-10: pier paolo pasolini: a future life, part 1 (film)
4-10: the venerable w. (film)
4-12: is this a room? (performance)
4-12: winter jazz festival (music)
4-13: american realness 2019 (dance, performance)
4-17: la religieuse (film)
4-31: to save and project: the 16th moma international festival of film preservation (film)
4-: communion (film)
4-: the exponential festival (theater)
4: hereditary (film)
4: surveys the prairie of your room (performance)
5-6: ephrat asherie dance & ronald k. brown / evidence with arturo o'farrill and resist (dance)
5-8: pancho villa (from a safe distance) (music)
5-10: first nations dialogues: kin (performance)
5-12: live artery (dance, performance)
5-13: prototype (music)
5-: bleach (theater)
5: an afternoon with donna uchizono (dance)
5: bill frisell & thomas morgan (music)
5: film socialisme (film)
6-7: briefs: the second coming (performance)
6-7: caleb teicher & co. with conrad tao: more forever (dance)
6: megan williams dance projects: one woman show (dance)
7-12: …they stood shaking while others began to shout (dance)
7: merce cunningham centennial: program 1 (dance, film)
8-9: reflections of native voices (performance)
8-26: jacques becker: liberating cinema (film)
8-: about alice (theater)
8-: on blueberry hill (theater)
9-13: dear erich (music)
9-14: sopranos film festival (film)
9-20: cuba festival (dance)
9-22: new york jewish film festival (film)
9-: secret identity (theater)
9: choir of the slain (part x) (performance)
9: eyes on the prize: "bridge to freedom: 1965" (film)
10-15: 1st iranian film festival (film)
10-27: alone it stands (theater)
10-: eddie and dave (theater)
10: blue heron (music)
10: takuya nakamura with rebekah heller, laura ortman, marton “juice” gabor, & azumi o e (music)
11-12: the jazz at lincoln center orchestra with wynton marsalis and the national symphony orchestra of romania (music)
11-17: touch me not (film)
11-18: kay francis: queen of pleasure (film)
11-20: barn series (theater)
11-21: first look 2019 (film)
11-24: pictures of polite society: henry james at the movies (film)
11-28: directorfest (theater)
11-: city symphonies (film)
11-: intelligence (theater)
11-: the infinite love party (theater)
11: choir of the slain (part x) (performance)
11: cutting edge concerts new music festival: dream forms (music)
12-13: igor butman and the moscow jazz orchestra (music)
12-: trick or treat (theater)
13: academy of sacred drama (music)
13: new york philharmonic ensembles (music)
14: face the music & mazz swift with international contemporary ensemble(music)
14: merce cunningham centennial: program 2 (dance, film)
14: store brand (theater)
14: the pussy grabber plays (theater)
15-16: los hijos del director (dance)
15: arbor music series vi- program one (music)
16-17: perle noire: meditations for joséphine (music)
16-19: nederlands dans theater 2 (dance)
16-29: the heiresses (film)
16-: the convent (theater)
16-: what is democracy? (film)ç
17: black string (music)
17: new music (music)
17: new york festival of song (music)
17: sanda weigl: songs from the 12th century (music, performance)
17: the etudes project vol. 1 (music)
17: the waves (film)
18-20: choreography of light by brandon stirling baker, with jamar roberts, sarah daley, and patricia delgado (dance)
18-20: compañía irene rodríguez (dance)
18-: far-out in the 70s: a new wave of comedy, 1969–1979 (film)
18-: oscar and the crown (theater)
19-20: ute lemper: rendezvous with marlene (music)
19-: joan (performance)
19-: who will write our history? (film)
19: houston ballet: sylvia by stanton welch (dance)
19: matana roberts: i call america / haley fohr: wordless music / suzanne langille (with daniel carter, neel murgai & loren connors) (music)
19: the pink room: david lynch burlesque’s 8th annual miss twin peaks pageant (performance)
20: aaron siegel, mantra percussion, and christa van alstine (music)
21: be more chill by joe iconis and joe tracz, with stephen brackett, chase brock, and robert klitzman (theater)
21: i love white men (performance)
21: merce cunningham centennial: program 3 (dance, film)
21: phenomenal women: bria skonberg, r.o.t.i. & more (performance)
22-: elaine may (film)
23-26: ionesco suite (theater)
23-27: l-e-v (dance)
23-: gatz (theater)
23-: the 5 browns: digging through the darkness (film)
23-: whirlwind (theater)
23: decoda (music)
23: sharón clark quartet (music)
23: sonatenabend (music)
24-25: life of a legend: carmen de lavallade (dance, music)
24-: generation nyz (performance)
24-: hercules: in search of a hero (theater)
24-: the pessoptimist (theater)
24: end plays (performance)
24: leif ove andsnes, piano (music)
24: mass of dissolution (music)
24: other icon: king vision ultra x via app x yatta (music, performance)
25-27: animation first (film)
25-31: never fear (the young lovers) (film)
25-31: out of the shadows: experimental feminist films by jane arden, niki de saint phalle & penny slinger (film)
25-: focus festival 2019: on the air! (music)
25-: hou hsiao-hsien in the 21st century (film)
25-: jihadists (film)
25-: the image book (film)
25: stefan jackiw, violin & conrad tao, piano (music)
25: the music of anthony braxton: syntactical ghost trance // echo echo mirror house (music)
26: david greilsammer (music)
26: orlando consort (music)
26: riverside symphony (music)
26: wadada leo smith: america's national parks (music)
27-28: echo ensemble: one (dance)
27: han tol & boreas quartett bremen (music)
27: the orchestra now: pictures at an exhibition (music)
27: wavefield ensemble (music)
28: juilliard jazz ensembles | ballads, blues, and shouts (music)
28: merce cunningham centennial: program 4 (dance, film)
28: steppenwolf and the national theatre: downstate by bruce norris (theater)
29-: balletboyz (dance)
29-: by the way, meet vera stark (theater)
30-: anne teresa de keersmaeker / rosas: verklärte nacht (dance)
30-: im gonna need another one (performance)
30-: producers club (theater)
30-: the wild pear tree (film)
30: aprille millo (music)
30: nick dunston: atlantic extraction/the floor is lava! (music)
31-: bach & gira (dance)
31-: hair & other stories (performance)
31-: migguel anggelo: latinxoxo – an unrequited serenata (music, performance)
31-: songs of freedom (music)
31: ani cordero (music)
31: jakub józef orliński, countertenor (music)
31: rostam (music)
31: ryan rafferty: the obsession of calvin klein (performance)