Theater in NY and Beyond: Measure for Measure by Pushkin Theater and Cheek by Jowl

Theater in NY and Beyond: Measure for Measure by Pushkin Theater and Cheek by Jowl

Shakespeare’s ‘problem play’ with all the modern society’s ills co-produced by Moscow’s Pushkin Theater and London’s Cheek by Jowl with Declan Donnellan directing 

Scene from play by Shakespeare "Measure for Measure" by Cheek by Jowl theater company
MEASURE FOR MEASURE by Shakespeare, Paris, 2015 / Photo: Johan Persson

Two world famous theaters combine their forces to produce a dynamic and powerful play by Shakespeare which seems to be written about our fast-paced time. Or it could well be that no matter what time it is, people and the interplay of their motives stay the same.

Shakespeare, the great master of human soul and its hidden desires, had placed the story in the space close to his, and the brilliance of Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod is in shifting it to the modern time while keeping the story intact. The amazing thing is the fresh potency of the story that explores corruption, hypocrisy, and lies of those in power and the tight strings at their disposal to turn the world around in tune with their wishes. Opened in 2013 in Moscow, Russia, this “Measure for Measure” production had already traveled around the world getting rave reviews in Spain, France, Britain, and many other countries. See for yourself how up-to-date Shakespeare was when he wrote his timeless plays.

The performance is in Russian with English subtitles; it runs for intense 100 minutes without intermission.

Measure for Measure will be performed in Washington DC, Brooklyn NY, Boston MA, Los Angeles CA.

For Discounted Tickets Click Here

Theater in NYC: My Parsifal Conductor in Off-Broadway Production

Theater in NYC: My Parsifal Conductor in Off-Broadway Production

An improbable Wagnerian Comedy created by Allan Leicht and directed by Robert Kalfin in limited production until November 3, 2018

Wagnerian Comedy My Parsifal Conductor YMCA West side NYC
My Parsifal Conductor / Photo credit Carol Rosegg

Musical genius Richard Wagner (Eddie Korbich) and his devoted wife Cosima (Claire Brownell) find themselves in a moral, political and musical dilemma when King Ludwig of Bavaria (Carlo Bosticco) insists that the son of a rabbi, Hermann Levi (Geoffrey Cantor), conduct the premiere of Wagner’s sacred final opera, Parsifal.  In this comedic spin on real-life events, Maestro Levi must consider his complex relationship with the Wagners.  Does Art have its “special needs,” after all?  MY PARSIFAL CONDUCTOR is the World Premiere comedy that dares to probe that question. Read More

Art in NYC: Obsession-Nudes by Klimt, Schiele, Picasso at The Met Breuer

Art in NYC: Obsession-Nudes by Klimt, Schiele, Picasso at The Met Breuer

Erotic watercolors, drawings and prints from The Met’s Scofield Thayer Collection on view July 3 –  October 7, 2018

Obsession Nudes Met Breuer Schiele
Egon Schiele, Self-Portrait, 1911; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982

An exhibition of about fifty works by the grand masters of the Vienna Secession movement Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele together with the early works by Pablo Picasso dives deep into artists’ obsession with male and female bodies. Bequeathed to The Met Museum in 1925 by Scofield Thayer, the collection is now coming on view for the first time. Thayer, a wealthy American publisher, and poet, collected the works in the early 1920s.

Klimt, while highly acclaimed in Austria, was mostly unknown to the American public. Schiele and Picasso were just starting to get attention and recognition in America. Thayer used some reproductions of the artworks in his avant-garde literary magazine Dial and for an exhibition at the Montross Gallery in New York in 1924. However he didn’t find much interest for them in his native Massachusetts.

His collection was assembled when Thayer was traveling between Vienna, Berlin, and Paris. It is an opening into the hidden obsession and fascination with the nude bodies, the emotions of the struggling souls and the complexity of desire.  Don’t judge; just observe and contemplate.

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Art in NYC: Giacometti at the Guggenheim Museum

Art in NYC: Giacometti at the Guggenheim Museum

Expansive expose of Giacometti’s sculptures, paintings and drawings on view at the Guggenheim until September 12, 2018

Paintings Sculptures Giacometti Guggenheim Museum New York City Dog
Alberto Giacometti Dog (Le Chien), 1951 Bronze, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Alberto Giacometti doesn’t need an elaborate introduction. His signature figures of striding tall men and extremely elongated silhouettes of women standing on heavy pedestals are immediately recognizable and treasured. Yet with all its familiarity and accessibility, the exhibition at Guggenheim uncovers the roots of artist’s journey from Cubism in his early years to figurative compositions in his later period adding layers of depth and influences.

Guggenheim’s spiraling rotunda which houses the exhibition’s vast number of sculptures, painting, and sketches serves as a symbolic climb to the triumph of Giacometti’s life work. His search for a true representation of humanity in its stillness and action are accompanied by meticulous curatorial introductions and labels. There is a lot behind each piece of work from the tiniest figurines to the towering sculptures. Get close to the artist’s thinking and immerse yourself into the existential art of “a Certified Genius™” as the FT calls the artist. The exhibition is on view until September 12, 2018.

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Jazz in NYC: Fred Hersch Duo Invitation Series at Jazz Standard

Jazz in NYC: Fred Hersch Duo Invitation Series at Jazz Standard

Jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch is playing in duet performances with Anat Cohen, Kate MacGarry, Miguel Zenon, Esperanza Spalding and Pocket Orchestra at the iconic NYC Jazz Standard Club on May 8 – 13, 2018

Piano Jazz Standard club NYC Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch / Photo credit Jim Wilkie

Serious jazz by the world-class musicians in an intimate and sound-perfect music club at the center of music universe – what could be better for a night out in New York City? The famous Jazz Standard club is hosting an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch and his superb guests in a very special Duo Invitation Series on May 8-13, 2018. The guest list includes a brilliant clarinetist Anat Cohen, an introspective singer Kate MacGarry, a 2018 Grammy Award nominated alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon and an Emmy-award winning vocalist Esperanza Spalding

To book tickets click here