[note: some, maybe 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 2025
¡feliz año, difus@s!
looking back on the past two months (because looking forward is a rather daunting prospect), some of the best work i saw on stage—which stands out as some of the year’s best—was dense, deliberate, and (for lack of a better word) difficult. crucially, though, it was not “deliberately difficult” because it was generous, compassionate, and (for lack, again, of a better word) egalitarian, marked by rigorous respect the audience’s intelligence and profound concern for our shared humanity.
no president was an absurdist fever dream, a deftly deconstruct(ed/ivist) dance, and an incisive political parable, marked by exceptional commitment and control. sharing that metaphysical sensibility and aesthetic achievement, suppose beautiful madeline harvey was utterly oneiric, seductively confounding, and visually riveting. every multiverse film ever made (even ones i love) feels absolutely linear by comparison. “a plump single-colored bulb, or a dance”, too, was dense and delicate, full of thought and light of touch, an intimate collaboration between the artists and an open invitation to the audience. get me carmelita tropicana was a brilliant and bittersweet (and hyper-meta and hilarious) love letter to downtown theater that was also, in the way it lost and (wryly) regained narrative coherence, an allegory of experimental theater. justin vivian bond’s holiday show, “flakes,” was, like all of her shows, ineffably moving and slyly subversive, and her artistic integrity is always an inspiration.
the rest was also good, so no major disappointments to end the year. kyle abraham’s dear lord, make me beautiful was a lyrical taking stock of the artist’s career to date (and so was interesting to put in dialogue with get me carmelita tropicana). mark morris’ the hard nut is always a joy, and this year’s cast was phenomenal—could we please get this on a regular (if not annual) holiday schedule? thankfully, les ballets trockadero de monte carlo are more regular in their holiday appearances while equally reliable in their precision and wit. sex variants of 1941 — a study of homosexual patterns felt a little more work-in-progress than world premiere; however, the source material is extraordinary (the civilians deserve much credit for their commitment to historical research), and a few of the numbers had me captivated.
on screen, the best i’ve caught in the past two months (which, again, has been among the best of the year) was also conceptually rich but more formally supple. almodóvar’s the room next door exceeded my expectations; his signature lavish style was at its most refined (including a tarkovsky-wyeth combo!), and his dialogue was at its most disarmingly direct, with even casual conversations offering trenchant critiques of contemporary issues, e.g., excarnation and apocalypse, that somehow escape feeling expository. all we imagine as light was revelatory (and, though painfully obvious, “luminous” and “radiant” are absolutely appropriate descriptors), unflinching but gentle in its exploration of the challenges facing women in india. the seed of the sacred fig, which also focused on the status of women, was a finely wrought portrait of iran and an allegory of political hope.
the end was, perhaps, the year’s biggest surprise for me, as the narrative was, in so many ways, quite classic (a tight-knit community / family confronting an ambivalent trespass); the direction was exquisitely controlled, the performances were expertly calibrated, and the sets were extraordinarily constructed. the other musical i’d been eagerly anticipating, emilia pérez, fell short of the hype. yes, the performances were wonderful (though selena gómez’s spanish and edgar ramírez’s charisma haven’t received the attention they deserve), but the whole was less than the sum of its parts. audiard is, alas, no almodóvar, but even the manchegan auteur has struggled with the musical genre. werner herzog’s exploration of neuroscience, theater of thought, would have benefitted from a longer format (say, a multi-part series) and greater critical and philosophical insight (which is what we’ve come to expect from him, right?).
all in all, 2024’s been a fine year for art (if not for the rest of the world). despite the holiday hangover, january’s abuzz:
performance + theater: under the radar is probably this month’s biggest event and always a great place to explore and discover. the wild project hosts the special effects and the fire this time festivals, the wooster group brings back symphony of rats, and new york city players reprises buildings i & ii (both of these shows were among the highlights of 2024 for me). other shows of note include the antiquities, famehungry, grief camp, gwyneth goes skiing, i’m assuming you know david greenspan, my mother’s funeral: the show, show / boat: a river, and seagull fucker.
dance: new york live arts and pioneers go east bring a lot of dance to the month’s showcase / festival circuit with live artery and out-front! for more dance, check out ragamala dance company and compagnie hervé koubi at the joyce, carolyn dorfman dance at the 92y, and “new combinations” at nycb.
film: momi’s “curators’ choice 2024” series continues, with two of my favorites from this past year—about dry grasses and do not expect too much from the end of the world (both of which i will be rewatching)—and its “expanded screens: the video essay” program looks fascinating. two other series i’m looking forward to are “a.i. from metropolis to ex machina” at film forum (cf., past present future’s “thinking about thinking machines” series with shannon vallor) and “blackout 1973" at anthology. in addition to the year-end releases i’m still working my way through, i’m hoping to see at least a few other features arriving on (or returning to) screen this month: dying, eat the night, grand theft hamlet, hard truths, la commune (paris, 1871) (full-length version) (but you can also opt for the theatrical version), oceans are the real continents, and soundtrack to a coup d’etat.
music: the prototype and exponential festivals are great for discovering new music, but there’s also a lot on offer outside them: primero sueño at the met’s cloisters, girl from the 905 at national sawdust, roomful of teeth and tambuco percussion ensemble at carnegie hall, the jack quartet at roulette, candice hayes at the morgan, “sonic spectrum iii” at chamber music society, and “a tribute to boulez” at ny phil. among this month’s early and classical highlights are the chicago symphony orchestra, julliard415, les arts florissants, pablo fernández and julio elizalda, the philadelphia orchestra, and sequentia. for even more music, check out jamie xx at the armory (in waves is such a good album!), fränder and maryna krut and will butler and sister squares at joe’s pub, and winter jazzfest.
art: the mid-winter tourism reprieve tends to make for great museum-going, so that’s where i’ll focusing my viewing. among the shows i want to catch are “belle da costa green: a librarian’s legacy,” “ceremonies out of the air: ralph lemon,” “christine koslov,” “draw them in, paint them out: trenton doyle hancock confronts philip guston,” “futura 2000: breaking out,” “harmony and dissonance: orphism in paris, 1910-1930,” “imaginary books: lost, unfinished, and fictive works,” “make way for berthe weill,” “michael asher,” “raven chacon: aviary,” and “wadada leo smith: kosmic music.”
the final paragraph in the text accompanying “a plump single-colored bulb, or a dance” feels like an appropriate sentiment with which to begin this new year:
“so what about this remarkable mechanism, curiosity? how does it stay alive – and keep one living – when all seems dead and lost? how does one organize, get lost in and re-find themselves in this space of curiosity? in times that have no sense or logic, how is it that the need for resolution can fade and simply finding relevance, moment to moment, is enough?”
as always, the full calendar follows (with an extra year-end addition), and anyone who wants to receive future issues can sign up here.
un abrazo,
p
enero / january
1: holiday concert: music of bach (music)
1-5: a shift of opinion (theater)
1-5: alvin ailey american dance theater (dance)
1-5: les ballets trockadero de monte carlo (dance)
1-5: the dead, 1904 (theater)
1-5: the jessycka rose talk show (theater)
1-5: the prior 55 (theater)
1-25: aida (music)
1-26: curators' choice 2024 (film)
1-: 2073 (film)
1-: music city (theater)
1-: santosh (film)
1-: vermiglio (film)
2-3: thurston moore (music)
2-4: george balachine's the nutcracker (dance)
2-4: the magic flute—holiday presentation (music)
2-7: also sprach zarathustra (music)
2-: exponential festival 2025 (music, performance, theater)
3-4: adam elliot's clayography in motion (film)
3-5: expanded screens: the video essay (film)
3-5: from ground zero (film)
3-6: la commune (paris, 1871) (theatrical version) (film)
3-16: soundtrack to a coup d’etat (film)
3-23: a.i.: from metropolis to ex machina (film)
3-: 15 minutes (film)
3-: amongst humans (film)
3-: delphine seyrig: rebel muse (film)
4-5: la commune (paris, 1871) (full-length version) (film)
4-19: under the radar festival (theater)
4-25: aida (music)
4-25: my mother's funeral: the show (theater)
4-: the many lives of laura dern (film)
5: over the hill: dating gay over 30 (performance)
6-24: rigoletto (music)
7-12: bid (theater)
7-13: out-front! festival (dance, performance, theater)
7-14: ches smith (music)
7-25: symphony of rats (theater)
8: mama alto (music)
8-11: joshua bell, dvořák & tchaikovsky’s fourth (music)
8-12: buildings i & ii (theater)
8-12: ragamala dance company (dance)
8-18: live artery 2025 (dance, performance)
8-: i’m assuming you know david greenspan (theater)
9: queen esther (music)
9: walter smith iii / lucía (music)
9-11: special effects festival 2025 (performance, theater)
9-12: jamie xx: in waves (music)
9-15: winter jazzfest (music)
9-18: many happy returns (theater)
9-19: prototype festival (music)
9-26: catching fireflies: a new queer musical (theater)
9-26: peregrinations (theater)
9-26: show boat: a river (theater)
9-26: the giggling granny (theater)
9-: grief camp (theater)
9-: hard truths (film)
9-: local singles (theater)
10: avenida b (music)
10: lizz wright / kandace springs (music)
10: njioma grevious, violin (music)
10-11: soles of duende & love movement (dance)
10-19: thunderbird american indian dancers’ pow-wow and dance concert (dance, music, performance)
10-20: blackout 1973 (film)
10-: diane warren: relentless (film)
10-: eat the night (film)
10-: every little thing (film)
10-: oceans are the real continents (film)
11: bring on the damned! (film)
11: rahim alhaj duo / yacouba sissoko duo (music)
11: the arab blues / maryna krut (music)
11-12: carolyn dorfman dance (dance)
11-12: heidi latsky dance & ballez (dance)
11-25: la bohème (music)
11-: radio downtown: radical '70s artists live on air (theater)
11-: the antiquities (theater)
12: bar ovo (performance)
12: igor levit, piano (music)
12: improvisatory interpretations on “a love supreme” with ravi coltrane & guests tba (music)
12: ny phil ensembles at merkin (music)
12: sequentia (music)
13: chamberfest 2025 (music)
13: emma sofia (performance)
13: fränder / maryna krut (music)
13: perla batalla / laura cantrell (music)
13: the met orchestra chamber ensemble (music)
13: we were fridays (music)
14: cag on tour (music)
14: tanya tagaq (music)
14-19: ronald k. brown / evidence (dance)
14-25: girls online (theater)
15: joseph keckler with malena cadiz (music)
15: laura downes & friends (music)
15: the philadelphia orchestra (music)
15-25: new york jewish film festival (film)
15-26: the day i accidentally went to war (theater)
15-: beckett briefs (theater)
16: michael olatuja & lagos pepper soup (music)
16: patrick higgins & yarn/wire (music)
16-19: naomi levine (film)
16-19: stutzmann conducts wagner’s ring without words (music)
16-19: the mulberry tree: a play about loyalty and loss, set in historic palestine (theater)
16-: i'm still here (film)
17: bach: from darkness to light (music)
17: god complex (music)
17: jack quartet plays john zorn’s memento mori and necronomicon (music)
17: tori with an "i" (performance)
17-18: die walküre act iii (music)
17-18: the martha graham cracker cabaret (music)
17-19: seagull fucker (theater)
17-19: the sensational senses (theater)
17-: bye bye love: fujisawa and the japanese new wave (film)
17-: dig! xx (film)
17-: girls town (film)
17-: grand theft hamlet (film)
17-: left behind (film)
18: juilliard415 | arias and suites by handel and rameau (music)
18: sxip shirley's hour of charm (performance)
18-: brigette lin on screen (film)
18-: dear jack, dear louise (theater)
19: will butler + sister squares (music)
20-26: gwenyth goes skiing (theater)
21: chicago symphony orchestra (music)
21: mary lee's corvette (music)
21: paul watkins, cello (music)
21-24: marta sanchez (music)
21-26: malpaso dance company (dance)
21-: all balanchine i (dance)
22: candice hoyes: belle canto (music)
22: leslie mendelson (music)
22: our dirty war (theater)
22: ryan speedo green, bass-baritone; adam nielsen, piano (music)
22-: all stravinsky (dance)
22-: famehungry (theater)
23: arun ramamurthy trio (music)
23: cisco swank (music)
23: improv nights 2025: a tribute to derek bailey (night 1) (music)
23: orchestra of st. luke’s (music)
23: orchestra of the age of enlightenment & julia bullock, soprano (music)
23: sonic spectrum ii (music)
23: washington national opera – american opera initiative (music)
23-25: swallow me whole (theater)
23-25: yuja wang leads rhapsody in blue and more (music)
23-26: primero sueño (music)
23-: building my casa (theater)
23-: the fire this time festival (theater)
24: bruce liu, piano (music)
24: improv nights 2025: a tribute to derek bailey (night 2) (music)
24-26: ages of the moon (theater)
24-30: dying (film)
24-30: pilgrim, farewell (film)
24-: liza: a truly terrific absolutely true story (film)
24-: ma mere (film)
24-: the whisper of the waves (theater)
25: a tribute to boulez (music)
25: improv nights 2025: a tribute to derek bailey (night 3) (music)
25: roomful of teeth; tambuco percussion ensemble (music)
25: sofia jernberg with tomeka reid, craig taborn & ole morten vågan (music)
25: tiler peck & yuja wang (dance, music)
25-27: jacob burckhardt (film)
26: girl from the 905 (music)
26: haydn, mozart, and beethoven (music)
26: pablo ferrández, cello & julio elizalde, piano (music)
26-: henry iv (theater)
27: centuries (music)
27: ensemble connect (music)
27: juilliard orchestra conducted by jeffrey milarsky (music)
27: serouj aprahamian and jennifer monson, sabina bočková, soňa kúdeľová (dance)
27: the tragedy of hoffman, or revenge for a father (theater)
27-: wandering women (film)
28: beethoven quartet cycle iii (music)
28: i hate memory! (performance)
28: les arts florissants (music)
28-29: gary indiana (1950-2024) (film)
28-31: kalia vandever (music)
28-: agency for the lost (theater)
28-: compagnie hervé koubi (dance)
29: dover quartet & michelle cann, piano (music)
29-: beatrice rana plays mendelssohn (music)
29-: harry connick jr: a celebration of cole porter (music)
29-: in pour taste: a comedy wine tasting experience (theater)
29-: new combinations (dance)
29-: pecking order (theater)
30: ellen fullman & theresa wong (night 1) (music)
30: international contemporary ensemble (music)
30: j.s. bach st. john passion (music)
30: jerron paxton and dennis lichtman in residence: ragtime (music)
30: lily henley (music)
30: mali obomsawin (music)
30: miriam elhajli & victor campbell (music)
30: sarah neufeld / richard reed parry / rebecca foon (music)
30: the met orchestra (music)
30-: io//odio (theater)
30-: milk thot (performance)
30-: shelly & lovelace never met (theater)
30-: the shine challenge (theater)
31: bright light bright light (music)
31: conrad tao, piano (music)
31: ellen fullman & theresa wong (night 2) (music)
31: italian insanity (music)
31: marcello mio (film)
31-: frederick wiseman: an american institution (film)
31-: no other land (film)
31-: swept away… by an unusual destiny in the blue sea of august (film)
31-: time passages (film)
31-: weegee's camera magic (film)
*** leído en 2024 / read in 2024 ***
breaking things at work: the luddites are right about why you hate your job, gavin mueller
culture is not an industry: reclaiming art and cuture for the common good, justin o’connor
el último sueño, pedro almodóvar
en la boca del lobo, elvira lindo
euskaratú, nerea arostegi
imagination: a manifesto, ruha benjamin
in the country of the blind, andrew leland
la casa, paco roca
las cuatro esquinas, manuel longares
logicomix: an epic search for truth, apostolos doxiadis and christoa papadimitrou
los elegidos, nando lópez
nueva ilustración radical, marina garcés
orderly fashion: a sociology of markets, patrik aspers
orquesta, miqui otero
plegaria para pirómanos, eloy tizón
pop, zuri negrin
shut down the business school, martin packer
style: toward clarity and grace, joseph williams
technofeudalism: what killed capitalism, yanis varoufakis
the anthropologists, aysegul savas
the illiad, homer (trans. emily wilson)
the maniac, benjamin labatut
the odyssey, homer (trans. emily wilson)
un trozo de tierra, santiago beruete