by Karen Tortora-Lee on January 27, 2010
UP LATE WITH SKIP CARTER!
In the middle of these recent late night wars our country is once again divided. There’s Team Leno, Team Conan, and then there’s the small little group of insurgent insomniacs who stay up waaaay past all that to tune in for “Up Late with Skip Carter” (Local Channel 27′s second highest rated non-animal variety slash talk show). Every night at 2:30 his is the little talk show that could … but then couldn’t — as “tonight” happens to be the last episode (for a while at least) of this home grown chat-fest. Luckily, we’re there to see it play out. While the only people watching maybe be you, me, and the cameraman, Skip Carter (Nick Lehane), his twin sister Lacy (Lauren Glover) and his one-man-band Carl (Gabriel Millman) are, to borrow a phrase, dancing as fast as they can. And, viewing audience or not, this swan song is almost as “awwwwwww” inspiring as Bette Midler crooning to Johnny all those years ago.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on January 26, 2010
If you haven’t already had a chance to check out Groundling alum Holly Mandel’s IMPROVOLUTION! now’s a great time to 1) give yourself a great night of improv 2) support people who really need it during a time of need. Because This Friday, Jan 29 @ 8pm Improvolution will be holding their next Improv Lovefest which will not only be a night of long form improv but also be a FUNDRAISER FOR HAITI where 100% of the money collected will be donated to the American Red Cross to help their efforts there … a TRUE Lovefest!
For more information, check out http://www.improvolution.org
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Groundling alum Holly Mandel’s
IMPROVOLUTION!
It’s Your Show. We Just Perform It.
This Friday, Jan 29 @ 8pm
Producer’s Club, 358 W44th @9th Ave
Tickets are $7
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on January 22, 2010
Henrik Ibsen would be proud – Hip Obscurity’s somewhat modern adaptation of the classic A Doll’s House (which runs till the 24th at the American Theatre of Actors) belongs entirely to its women.
Taking on a classic is always an interesting choice – one can play it safe and give the audience the same story it’s known for years, running the risk of an entirely boring production, or one can try and find all the hidden metaphors with the result being something far from what the author intended but a new experience for the audience. So I can imagine there were a lot of creative and directorial choices director Anthony Castellano had to make when going through this text in the hopes of bringing something fresh and new to it.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 23, 2009
More Retro Cards @ Fenderskirts Vintage
Before heading off for a long winter’s nap, I thought it would only be fitting to send you into the holidays with visions of sugarplums and such. So, here is my Christmas wish for you all, and if you don’t celebrate Christmas, here’s hoping the Internet waves simultaneously translate my wishes and retrofit them to the holiday of your choice, whatever your faith or creed. Whatever holiday language you speak: May these days be merry and bright. And if it’s a little bit of fun you’re wanting, keep reading for some ideas on holiday Theatre, Film, TV, Books, Art and Music. You may find a few surprises …
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 21, 2009
Image by Kelly Syring
I’m not as concerned with the persistent presence of fear and ridicule as I am with the conspicuous absence of understanding and respect, particularly in communities of color.
– Chisa Hutchinson
Most of us wake up in the morning wondering if we’re going to do anything that day … or any day … that will leave an impression on others. For most of us it’s enough to just touch a few lives in a positive way, to give something or share something or even to just illuminate something for those we’re close to in order to raise consciousness a little bit, or a little bit more. However, at the age of 16 in the rough streets of Newark Sakia Gunn was probably thinking very little about making an impression and just was focusing on how to get through her day. Being young, black and gay in a rough urban community doesn’t leave much room for being different. And in Sakia’s case, there was no room at all.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 21, 2009
So excited to report that if you didn’t get a chance to see Last Life you now have 2 more chances since the show has been extended! Make sure to get to one of the last 2 performances of this outrageous, strange, wonderful show!
Last Life
Presented by Big Time Action Theatre
Fight Directed by Rod Kinter
Directed by Timothy Haskell
In a borderless, burnt out world the few remaining inhabitants are at the end of a long, indefinable war. The survivors, not knowing what they are even fighting for, vow to destroy each other and wrest control for what remains. The new fightsical from the creator of Road House: The Stage Play starring Taimak (of the legendary fight film, The Last Dragon).
NEW SHOWS ADDED:
Fri Jan 8 @ 11pm & Sat Jan 9 @ 10pm
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The Brick
575 Metropolitan Avenue (between Union and Lorimer Street)
Brooklyn
Tickets are $18 and may be purchased online or by calling Theatermania at (212) 868-4444.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 18, 2009
I’ve been a fan of Eric Sanders’ ever since I interviewed him last year and then reviewed his staging of the classic horror story The Wendigo. And while that first show certainly gave me a taste for how great his talents are, I was very excited about getting the chance to see Last Life - one of his original works. Chatting with Timothy Haskell recently about Fight Fest only made me more eager to see not just a play, but an amalgam of story and combat, something they christened “the fightsical”.
Everything leading up to Last Life did not prepare me for what I actually experienced that night in the theatre; and while there are a lot of things one could say about the show, very little would do it justice.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 17, 2009
Who wouldn’t want to read a book with a subtitle as searing and juicy (yes, I’m going for a steak vibe here) as “A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession“?
One part of Julie Powell‘s life has just been immortalized on film in “Julie & Julia“, but Ms. Powell has a lot more memoir in her, and Cleaving tells the tale of her marriage, her infidelity, and her journey to learn to cut meat (um … I don’t think I need to point out the subtext there) the way the experts do from the butchers at Fleisher’s Meats (“We follow a nose-to-tail cutting program so we use every part of the animal” their website boasts.)
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 16, 2009
Deck The Hallmans!
Let’s face it, the holiday season is all about getting family together. And as much as we’d all like to think that that’s a good thing, the truth is that when family members are forced to spend hours on end in the same house it can often spell chaos – which is the main thrust of The Brick’s production of Deck The Hallmans! (improvised by the ensemble and directed by Audrey Crabtree).
Too many generations mingling with too many lifestyles which are sometimes in direct conflict with each other; old traditions that aren’t cherished anymore, versus old heirlooms that are given too much value; hidden agendas nestled in among the good wishes and feigned merriment, all wrapped up with a nice bow. Throw in a little improv, some choreographed punches, and the Hallmans find themselves thoroughly Decked.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 9, 2009
I’ve been a fan of the mash-up ever since I heard that playing Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon during a muted Wizard of Oz creates a completely new experience. On the other hand, I’m absolutely NOT a fan of the jukebox “musicals” such as Mama Mia and Movin’ Out, because I’ve always thought it was rather cheap to take pre-existing songs and retrofit them till they trip over some sort of plot. Frankly, I’d rather just listen to Abba and Billy Joel singing the original versions.
So, when I heard about Mr. Shakespeare and Mr. Porter (Created and Directed by Barbara Vann) – an almost overly-ambitious idea of taking music from Cole Porter (one of the 20th centuries wittiest, wryest, cleverest song smiths) and pairing his classic tunes with the plays of William Shakespeare - I thought “This could either go one way, or the other”. What I hadn’t bargained on was that there was a third way all together.
This review will have to be short for two reasons. One – it may go to places I don’t want to take it … and Two – after seeing pretty clearly what Act 1 (King Lear and Macbeth) had to offer, I chose not to stay for the offerings of Act 2 (Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Since all the songs were listed, I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to miss, and chose to miss it anyway.
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