by Antonio Miniño on February 5, 2012
Marielle DeLuna & Antonio Miniño in front of her photographs | photo by Decia Bodden
In she walks wearing one of New York based Dominican fashion designer Peter Hidalgo‘s latest creations for Spring/Summer 2012, a turqouise Mosquito dress that asserts her readiness to conquer the world and create all opportunities. She has a lot to celebrate, a dream come true to most artists and even bigger accomplishment for someone from the small pond of Dominican Republic to the mecca of Art and Design.
Marielle DeLuna is an emerging photographer who said yes to living her passion later in her life. From being an American Airlines employee to owning Marielle DeLuna Photography, she has broken molds with her unique personality and love for the obscure in a land where this practice is most unconventional.
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by Antonio Miniño on January 16, 2012
L-R: David Riley, Sebastian Galvez & Juan Carlos Lopez in "Wearing Lorca's Bowtie"; photo by Sion Fullana
AENY-The Bridge is a non-profit organization which was established in the fall of 2010 to promote inter-disciplinary artistic collaborations and build a cultural bridge between Spain and the United States.
Last December I was witness to one of their great creations and wanted to introduce this fairly new company to The Happiest Medium readers.
Helmed by Josh Hecht & Ignacio Garcia-Bustelo, the creation was Wearing Lorca’s Bowtie, an innovative multi-disciplinary piece inspired by internationally acclaimed Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca’s trip to New York. The riveting production, which incorporated dance as much as acting and bilingual text, received a short run at the Duke on 42nd Street.
Both Josh (JH) and Ignacio (IGB) graciously answered some questions for THM.
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by Antonio Miniño on August 22, 2011
Director Joe Barros (green) and part of the cast of The Legend of Julie Taymor
The rise and fall of director Julie Taymor and the behind-the-scenes scandals of Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark is the premise behind the 2011 Fringe sensation The Legend of Julie Taymor, or The Musical That Killed Everybody! In the show Julie faces financial problems, actor injuries, technical malfunctions, opening delays, scathing reviews, all while battling her arch-nemesis, an unrelenting theatre columnist.
Behind every great show, especially a high energy rock musical like this one, there is a great director. In this case producing artistic director of New York Theatre Barn, Joe Barros, helms the direction and choreography of one of the hottest tickets at the Fringe this year. Read on and check out the show this Wednesday. But hurry! the show is selling like Book of Mormon only way cheaper.
First show you ever saw that made you want to be a director and a choreographer?
The film The Wizard of Oz and a subsequent community theatre production.
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by Antonio Miniño on July 31, 2011
by James Lantz
There is theater outside of NYC, my friends, and I recently discovered Burlington, VT to be a thriving arts community with fresh ideas, innovative expressions and fascinating creators. Karen and The Happiest Medium have always inspired and encouraged us to think outside of the NYC box and bring topics and people located outside of the concrete jungle to our faithful happiest readers.
A New York filmmaker – saved maybe by premonition – packed his bags a decade ago for Burlington, VT and is now ready to present his evocative and important play The Bus at 59E59 Theatres in Manhattan, premiering October 4th and playing through the 30th. James Lantz answered some questions about his work and Vermont life.
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by Antonio Miniño on March 6, 2011
The Body Politic at 59E59
We asked the producers of The Body Politic at 59E59 to entice us in 59 words to check out their last performance today.
The Off-Broadway debut of At Hand Theatre Company has received some great mentions and satisfied audience members. They think The Happiest Medium readers would like it because:
The number one reason you should see The Body Politic is because it is a fun, clever, romantic comedy. The second big reason is because it closes on Sunday, March 6th! The third reason you should check it out is to see the amazing cast of Matt Boston, Eve Danzeisen, Brian Dykstra, Daren Kelly, Michael Puzzo and Leslie Hendrix!
Final performance Sunday, March 6th at 3:15pm
59 East 59th Theaters are located at 59 East 59th Street, New York, NY
Tickets $35.00 (59E59 Members $24.50)
BUY TICKETS
IN PERSON: 59E59 Theaters Box Office
59 East 59th Street (betw. Park & Madison)
BY PHONE: 212-279-4200
ONLINE: www.59E59.org
59E59 Member E:Line 212-753-5959 ext. 104
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by Antonio Miniño on March 6, 2011
Ali Kresch in Mendacity (Photo by Lauren Rayner)
Ali Kresch delivers a collage of expressions in Mendacity, (written & directed by Lauren Rayner) an experimental visually striking solo performance with a poignant and healing look into the uncomfortable yet significant and much needed subject of rape and the self destruction that could sadly ripple after. Ms. Rayner sharing her own personal stories of sexual assault for the stage is undeniably no small feat. She has also interviewed other women to develop this show that is described as a word-collage. This is a very accurate description for the show, as Ms. Kresch repeats certain words to reiterate their meanings in her story and the way different inflections create different emotions. Unfortunately this a compelling show does not make. There is no driving plot-line to keep us fully focused or to appreciate the important message Ms. Rayner is trying to convey.
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by Antonio Miniño on March 4, 2011
Papi holds Pretty Big (Pretty-n-Papi featuring Leah James Abel & Olivia Hallie Lehrman (Photo by Dana Reichma)
In Pretty-n-Papi (written by Leah James Abel, Cody Schreger, and Olivia Lehrman) Ms. Pretty Smart is pretty ready for her pretty man to walk into her life, but things aren’t looking that bright for this girl in the love department so she decides to start online dating, why not! Haunted by a radio commercial of “Princess Charmony,” she surfs the web on her ginormous macbook and creates a profile, username: PrettySmart. Continue Reading…
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by Antonio Miniño on March 3, 2011
Candy Simmons in Scarlet Woman
Simple: if you love a good murder mystery and film noir you will enjoy Scarlet Woman. Matthew Well’s play has more twists and turns than a twizzler, and actresses Candy Simmons and Megan Hill love chewing on that licorice!
Carmine (one of the characters played by Candy Simmons), is a woman who can’t get a recent fire out of her mind, except she can’t really remember the details! Off she goes to find out who killed her father. Her clue? One of his former lovers who sends her off on a wild noir chase to another lover… and that lover to another… and another… you get it. Megan Hill does a great job at physically transforming into the different smokey ladies and even a couple of dandies.
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by Antonio Miniño on March 2, 2011
Saving Tania's Privates (photo by Joe Jankovsky)
Theatre magic doesn’t happen every day or in every show. Those instances when time stops and you are transported from every day life into the world of a writer or a performer are happening right now at the FRIGID New York festival in a basement theater called Under St. Marks. The mastermind behind all this power brought to the stage is Tania Katan with Saving Tania’s Privates. A personal, witty, no-nonsense recount of a Jewish lesbian’s challenge with cancer since the age of 21. Continue Reading…
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by Antonio Miniño on February 28, 2011
Christel Bartelse in ONEymoon (photo by Shawn McPerson)
The road to self can be a very bumpy one – even bumpier is the road to finding your other half – unless that other half is yourself? The need for that special someone is the favorite topic of most of our happiest mediums, being the center crux in hundreds of books, movies and theatre. Written by Jimmy Hogg & the bubbly Christel Bartelse, ONEymoon is an entertaining if sometimes convoluted look into finding solitary happiness and going all the way – so far as to marrying oneself and taking oneself to a lush tropical “all you can drink” Caribbean honeymoon – with sexy bartender included!
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