by Antonio Miniño on August 16, 2010
This one woman show at the New York International Fringe Festival is the stuff we live for here at The Happiest Medium; as managing director Karen Tortora-Lee will tell you, our mission is to highlight, showcase and celebrate our favorite medium, and that is exactly what writer/performer Leila Arias does in Omarys Concepcion Lopez Perez Goes To Israel (to Speak to God at the Wailing Wall). It takes a certain kind of performer to pull off a solo-show, and Ms. Arias has the spunk, chops and enthusiasm to transport us to Jerusalem, the Bronx and Puerto Rico in a 40 minute journey.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 16, 2010
Cast of Macbeth (photo by Ben Strothmann)
This may not be a popular theory, but I always felt that if Shakespeare were alive today and writing this Scottish play the plot might very well be the same . . . but the title would be Lady Macbeth and the emphasis would be completely different. For without the devious, devilish, deliciously deceitful Lady at his side Macbeth would be just another Hamlet, wandering about the castle wondering when his future was ever going to relieve him of his everlasting present.
Director Will Le Vasseur has done two things with Redd Tale Theatre Company’s Macbeth that I applaud him for. One, he’s “tightly edited” the original Shakespeare in ways that leave the story in tact while still getting the audience back on their feet before numbness sets in. However, the bigger triumph lies with point two. What Le Vasseur has done here – which I have yet to see done in other productions – is give this traditionally male-dominated Shakespearean Tale to the women. He’s managed to make a Feminist Macbeth. Now if I could only lobby to get him to change the title . . .
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by Lina Zeldovich on August 15, 2010
Shine Mionne (Cass King) runs her operation on a corset string, but she stands by her ideals: a true edgy burlesque show with no glitzy Broadway feel. The roof leaks, lights break, the performers don’t get paid sometimes, but everyone is family and a star, including the real big girl Lucy Von Doozy (Andra Boo Green), a little wildcat Feral (Roxie Moxie), who hisses and bites along with the janitor (John Woods) who never says a word.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 14, 2010
We couldn’t let this month go by without offering a very special Fringe Edition of The Happiest Medium Giveaway. So even thought we already gave away tickets this month – we’re doing it again!
After graciously doing an interview, the team at Banshee of Bainbridge has offered to dontate 2 tix to some lucky winners.
Here’s all you have to do – answer the question correctly and the first person to reply to giveaways@thehappiestmedium.com will win (it’s usually a random drawing, but this is time sensitive!)
Q – What does the “bainbridge” in Banshee of Bainbridge refer to?
(Find the answer in the interview we did earlier this week).
First to answer gets a pair of tix to the performance of their choice at the Robert Moss Theater /440 Lafayette, NYC:
- Monday August 16th at 9:15 pm
- Saturday August 21st at 12 pm
- Sunday August 22nd at 6:30 pm
- Friday August 27th at 3:45 pm
See Contest Guidelines HERE.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 13, 2010
Carol Carpenter
The Happiest Medium was honored to be a Media Partner of the 2010 Planet Connections Festivities. Not only did we, as a team, get to interview some of the most talented writers and directors than any festival (or festivity for that matter) has to offer, but we made some lasting connections. One of them is Carol Carpenter – writer of the play Good Lonely People which was also directed by our wonderful staff contributor, Diánna Martin. Carol was not only nominated for her work but also won! We were thrilled to be able to celebrate this night with her – and I’m honored that she took some time to sit down and tell us what this time in her life has been like. Surprisingly, it’s been an unexpected path . . .
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 13, 2010
We take our festivals very seriously around here, in case you hadn’t noticed. Show me a festival and I’ll show you a THM contributor sitting front and center, scribbling furiously in the dark. But there’s no denying, there’s a festival, and then there’s the Fringe Festival – the one we all wait for . . . artists and reviews alike!
Fringe 2010 should already be on your radar but if, for whatever reason, you’ve let it get this late without making a Fringe plan, fear not! We’ve got you covered! Our diligent THM staff - though small – will be going all out to give you the scoop on as many shows as we can physically attend (if only we could be in two places at once!)
Here are the shows we plan on reviewing – hope to see you at one, some or all of them!
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by 4 Cents Reviews on August 13, 2010
4 Cents Review – When 2 reviewers each give their 2 cents.
Bill Connington as Hamlet (photo by Beau Allulli)
Today Stephen Tortora-Lee and Karen Tortora-Lee give their 4 Cents about The Princes Of Darkness which is playing at Theater for the New City.
Before The Princes of Darkness (written and performed by Bill Connington) even begins there’s an ambiance created by sound designer Sean Gill that does its best to set a tone of creepy nervousness. Resonating within the small theatre, which is completely draped in black cloth, is the kind of music reserved for the scenes in movies that have the most startling effect – a subtle drop of blood oozing down a table, a shadow crossing a deserted hallway. Let yourself get pulled too deeply into the sounds and you’ll find that you’ll jump when the seat behind you thuds down.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 12, 2010
We’re very lucky here, at The Happiest Medium, to have such talented contributors. Our very own Diánna Martin is on a roll – having just directed Good Lonely People for The Planet Connections Festivity she now is working with Jim Tierney’s gritty, gripping play, Banshee of Bainbridge, which will be part of this year’s Fringe Festival. I was lucky enough to read this script and can only say that I was amazed – and can’t wait to see the show come to life.
I got a chance to find out a little bit more about what it feels like to be a part of Fringe, what Banshees are doing in the Bronx, and why the 1980s made for a lot of waiting around . . .
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 11, 2010
If the name Mae West means nothing to you, then you should come up and see me some time . . . and I’ll fill you in. My knowledge of this woman – her life, her career, her philosophy – is so encyclopedic that a friend once suggested I teach a college course on her.
It’s been thirty years since her death but I can remember the details as if it were yesterday. True, I was just a child, but the effect she’d had on my short life at that point was already indelible and I morned her death on Nov 22, 1980 with as much grief as the rest of the world morned John Lennon just a few weeks later.
But like so many iconic celebrities, Mae West continues to live on and on . . . as evidenced by the stronghold her image still has on pop culture. In fact, there’s going to be a Mae West Birthday Bash happening this upcoming weekend, hosted by The Gaudy Girls! I got a chance to chat about Mae, Sophie Tucker, the joys of celebrating strong women, and the importance of keeping the torch going when I caught up with Maggie Worsdale who embodies Sophie Tucker (“The Last of the Red Hot Mamas!”) and Anne Marie Finnie who channels Mae West. Together, they are The Gaudy Girls.
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by Anne Jordanova on August 10, 2010
Mark your calendars for next Wednesday, August 18th, fellow New Yorkers. NWF is throwing a huge charity, live music event in Manhattan, bringing out some great talent from across the country, including my dear friend-singer, songwriter Beau Davidson.
What: NATURE’S NIGHT II
– Supporting Gulf Oil Spill Restoration
– featuring National Wildlife Federation’s celebrity naturalist David Mizejewski
Where: The Gates, 290 8th Ave, New York, New York
When: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 7 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Who: Society’s Choice and members of New York’s arts, business and entertainment communities; guest speakers from the National Wildlife Federation and other environmental groups reporting on the status of wildlife rescue efforts in the Gulf.
The event will include entertainment by six top recording artists and dancers from across the country.
- Larry Love and his band
- Zach Maxwell and his band
- Beau Davidson
- Dianne Wesley
- Cynthia Angua
- Ilyana and James Harell (in place of Dalal)
www.facebook.com/SocietysChoice
Tickets right now, are 25$ in advance, or 35$ at the door. This is an excellent cause, and a helping hand to spread around. If you like great music, I assure you this is the place to be!
Check out Beau Davidson on CMT now!
Artist Page: www.cmt.com/artists/az/davidson__beau/artist.jhtml
Video: http://www.cmt.com/loaded/index.jhtml?vid=202396
Hope to see you there!
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