Author: arts-NY

Theater in NYC: Betrayal by Harold Pinter on Broadway

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Theater in NYC: Betrayal by Harold Pinter on Broadway

Betrayal, the most famous play by English playwright Harold Pinter is running on Broadway with incredible Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Cox, and Zawe Ashton; until December 8, 2019

Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox, and Tom Hiddleston in BETRAYAL at London's Harold Pinter Theatre
Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox, and Tom Hiddleston in BETRAYAL at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre; photo by Marc Brenner

The play Betrayal, directed by Jamie Lloyd, a recognized interpreter of Pinter’s oeuvre, and staged by a scenic designer Soutra Gilmour, comes to New York after a triumphant run in London at the standing-room-only sold-out house at Harold Pinter Theater. The reverse chronology of the script coupled with the bare stage design put a premium on acting in this tense psychological drama. This is where the superb cast shines. Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Cox, and Zawe Ashton successfully navigate the intricacies of the script progressing from the first scene when the affair is over back in time to its start.

Hiddleston’s refined performance as Robert, the deceived husband, sets the finely measured tone and carries the plot to its highest points of controlled tensions. Cox as Jerry, Robert’s close friend, excels in depicting a character that goes with a flow. Emma, Robert’s wife, and Jerry’s lover, in Ashton’s interpretation, comes across as reserved and underwhelming.

Lloyd employs the novel technique of keeping all three characters on stage even in the scenes written for two. This is a cunning way to stress the unconscious awareness of guilt. Locked in a bitter love-triangle, each of the three is guilty in deceiving the other two. Coupled with the reverse chronology of the script, the production is deceptively simple yet deeply sophisticated. A few fine accents like costume change would help in articulating the passage of time for this otherwise fluid and well-balanced spectacle.

Betrayal runs for only 17 weeks on Broadway until December 8, 2019. Click below for tickets at 56% off.

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Theater in NYC: The Rise and Fall of Macondo at Pushkin Hall

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Theater in NYC: The Rise and Fall of Macondo at Pushkin Hall

The Russian Arts & Theater Studio presents the Rise and Fall of Macondo, a play inspired by One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; at Pushkin Hall from October 30 – November 24, 2019 

The cast of The Rise and Fall of Macondo; The Russian Arts & Theater Studio
The cast of The Rise and Fall of Macondo; The Russian Arts & Theater Studio / Image courtesy of the theater

Selecting One Hundred Years of Solitude for a stage adaptation takes tenacity and ambition. After all, to recount the tales of the long list of Buendia family members, their close and distant relatives and neighbors in the town of Macondo from Marquez’s masterpiece would seem to take an eternity in theater terms. Or, it could feel like eternity for the theatergoers. Yet, the company’s artistic director Aleksey Burago accomplished the task with fluidity and charm.

Adapted with the broad strokes of a pen, the script has all the major turns of Macondo’s history, from its founding as a place of seclusion to the ups and downs of the time of peace to the honors of the years of war and ultimate decimation. Skillfully weaving in the inventive soundtrack and elaborate ensemble scenes, Burago sets a perfect pace for the narrative and condenses the epic story into a little over a two-hour running time. The acting by the cast of The Russian Arts and Theater Studio is spot on and flows with ease.

The spirit of a big family all living under the same roof is recreated by the 15 cast members who are present on stage throughout the play. In keeping with the orthodox traditions and orders, male and female characters are positioned on the opposite sides of the stage for clear delineation of gender roles. But soon, Ursula, Di Zhu, the family matriarch takes control of the household in her hands and raises its 6 generations. She eventually passes the baton on to her great-grand-daughter Amaranda also played by Zhu. Fate defies the high expectations for Ursula’s sons and grandsons, so Amaranda is the last member of the Buendia family who ends the line. However, the ghosts of procreation and hope remain in the air even when the only creatures left on stage are ants.

Enjoy this sleepless journey of vivid allegories, earthy emotions, and the dreams of a simple life. The play is performed in English; running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.

Inspired by the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Adapted and directed by Aleksey Burago

Cast: Jaime Carrillo, Micheal Donaldson, Roman Freud, Kristina Korop, Alex Malyi, Luisa Menzen, Ariel Polanco, Paulo Quiros, Riccardo Ripani, Tom Schubert, Lana Stimmler, Desen Uygur, Oleksiy Varfolomiyev, Naira Zakaryan, Di Zhu

 

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Dates: October 30 – November 24, 2019

Venue: Pushkin Hall, 165 W 86th St, New York, NY 10024

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Music in NYC: Russian Elegy Program of Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Lyadov at Aspect Chamber Music Concert

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Music in NYC: Russian Elegy Program of Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Lyadov at Aspect Chamber Music Concert

Aspect Chamber Music Series presents the Russian Elegy program performed by violinist Misha Keylin, cellist Zlatomir Fung, and pianist Pavel Nersessian on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 7.30 pm at Bohemian National Hall; illustrated talk by BBC radio host Stephen Johnson

Mikhail Glinka, Piotr Tchaikovsky; violinist Misha Keylin, pianist Pavel Nersessian, cellist Zlatomir Fung
Mikhail Glinka, Piotr Tchaikovsky; violinist Misha Keylin, pianist Pavel Nersessian, cellist Zlatomir Fung

Introspective and moody, the music of the Russian composers projects the warmth and emotional depth which are precious gifts for chamber music lovers. This Holiday season three brilliant musicians, violinist Misha Keylin, cellist Zlatomir Fung, and pianist Pavel Nersessian, are teaming up for an elegiac program of music by Lyadov, Glinka, and Tchaikovsky.

Veteran BBC radio host and musicologist Stephen Johnson leads an illustrated lecture on the three Russian composers on the bill, exploring the theme of the Russian elegy. Johnson is a writer, broadcaster and lecturer on music.

Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857), influenced by the rich folk tradition and orthodox church chants in the Russian province which he heard in childhood, is considered to be the grandfather of Russian classical music. Better known for the distinctly Russian operas, his oeuvre includes expressive chamber music written yearly in his career. Glinka’s work had inspired a plethora of Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Lyadov.

Treat yourself for an evening of exceptional music played by the amazing young musicians.

Get tickets at 33% off with code ARTSNY23 at checkout when attending the Aspect Chamber Music Series for the first time. 

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Program:

Lyadov — Three Pieces, Op. 57
Glinka — Trio Pathétique
Tchaikovsky — Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50         

             

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Music in NYC: InsideOut Concert Experience – Sounds of America

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Music in NYC: InsideOut Concert Experience – the Sounds of America

Experience the music up close with Maestro David Bernard and Park Avenue Chamber Symphony on November 23, 2019; presenting two InsideOut™ Concert programs: the family event at 2 pm and the full experience at 5 pm at The Dimenna Center for Classical Music

Maestro David Bernard, Clarinetist Jon Manasse, Park Avenue Chamber Orchestra at InsideOut Concert
Maestro David Bernard, Clarinetist Jon Manasse, Park Avenue Chamber Orchestra at InsideOut Concert / Image courtesy of the musicians

Immersive is a buzz word in a lot of disciplines from theater to engineering to art. Now you can get an immersive experience with a symphony orchestra. The highly acclaimed Maestro David Bernard and Park Avenue Chamber Symphony invites its audiences to sit right next to the musicians at their InsideOut Concerts.

The 2019-2020 InsideOut Concert season starts with the Sounds of America events on November 23, 2019 at The Dimenna Center for Classical Music. Covering American modern history from the austerity of the frontier exploration to the jazzy vibe of the Golden Age era to an all-American Romeo and Juliet love tale in Bernstein’s West Side Story, the program of music by Copland and Bernstein is bound to touch the hearts and minds of the audience in the almost literal sense. The movements of the bows in the string section, the clarity of the sound from the wind instruments absorbed while sitting next to the musicians and the tense beat of the percussionists will pull everyone in the sound fabric created under the maestro Bernard’s baton. Once experienced, that special appreciation of tuning in with those who make the music will stay with the concert-goers forever.

Elliott Forest, a beloved WQXR Radio Personality and multi-media producer, designed a montage of images that will be projected while the orchestra will perform Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite.  The combination of music, experienced from within the orchestra, and the visuals selected by Forrest, will be unforgettable.

Program

Copland Appalachian Spring Suite

Copland Clarinet Concerto
Jon Manasse, Soloist

Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

 

Space is very limited, so reserve your seats now. The Family event at 2 pm is shorter (less music) and features an Instrument Zoo which is designed for children, their parents, and caregivers. The Full InsideOut Concert Experience is at 5 pm followed by reception.

Saturday, November 23, 2019 Family event at 2 pm       BUY TICKETS

Saturday, November 23, 2019 Full Experience at 5 pm   BUY TICKETS

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