Birthdaypalooza!

Yes, I did go a little crazy with getting myself little birthday treats.  Oh well.  You're only 53 once.  Or so I've been told...

The first treat to myself was going to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company, which I've already told you about.  Last Friday, I accepted a gifted ticket to see one of the final previews of Lynn Nottage's Sweat.  You may recall that I saw, and greatly enjoyed, a preview performance of the Off-Broadway production at the Public Theater last fall (you can see that review HERE).  I was thrilled that the production was picked up for a Broadway run - not only was I thrilled that Lynn Nottage would FINALLY be on Broadway (seriously, why has it taken so long?!  I mean, I think I know why, but I just like to keep asking), but I was also thrilled that I would see people so familiar to me, people not normally depicted on a Broadway stage, front and center.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

I did worry that knowing the plot already would lessen Sweat's impact.  Of course, I needn't have worried.  I was still on the edge of my seat, I was still holding my breath, I was still shocked/saddened/enraged by what happened and how these characters behaved.  Maybe even more so, because these actors have really deepened their performances.  They seemed even more raw, yet more defined.  I think transfer was a complete success, even in the huge Studio 54.  I was in the mezzanine, but never felt too far away from the action.

I was fortunate enough to chat with the playwright at my office and she mentioned that she had been making tweaks and changes to the script before the Broadway opening - I think I noticed two differences, one rather large, and I'm dying to ask her about them.  I think I'll let the excitement of opening die down before I ask.  Anyway, I gave enough of the plot and stuff in that first review linked above, so this time I'll just say I again LOVED Sweat and I highly recommend everyone go see it.

Playwrights Horizons always has a lottery for free tickets to their first preview.  When you don't win (and I never win, so why use 'if'?), you get an email saying you didn't win, but here are dates you can have a discounted ticket for $15. Most times, the dates they offer don't fit in my schedule, but this time, I took them up on the discount and saw the third preview of Zayd Dohrn's The Profane.  I met Zayd a few years ago and was interested to check out his writing.

Again, I saw only the second or third preview, so I'll just offer a few thoughts.  The Profane is about two immigrant families, who don't quite see eye to eye.  Or do they? There are many familiar questions in the play, about family and loyalty and religion, also maybe class and prejudice, but I was also quite surprised, several times, with the direction the play took.  I find being surprised a wonderful thing. I thought the dialogue was smart, witty and true to the characters; I thought the characters were interesting and very well-rounded; I thought the plot was very timely and intriguing.  And the set was fantastic!  So I definitely enjoyed myself at The Profane and may try to go back later in the run.  There was a talkback after the performance, which was also interesting.  This particular audience seemed dissatisfied with the ending and they offered suggestions on how to fix it, which is so.not.helpful at a talkback.  Plus, half of them seemed to have the croup, so that didn't help endear them to me.  Personally, I thought the ending was just right, but I guess you can't discount the opinions of a whole bloc of people. Or can you? I don't know. 

Sunday night, I had dinner with a friend at Blue Dog Cafe, near Worldwide Plaza.  May I just say that the avocado and goat cheese toast was amazing, as was my riff on a tequila sunrise.  For dessert, the server recommended the pistachio cheesecake, which was delicious, and they very sweetly brought it out with a lit birthday candle and they sang happy birthday to me.  It was nice to spend so much quality time with my friend, whom I never see enough, and Blue Dog Cafe was a cozy place to be.  Monday, aka my actual birthday, I went with a handsome work friend to The Stinger Bar, inside the Intercontinental Hotel.  I also find their food and drinks delicious, especially the Killer Bee cocktail, which is potent and my favorite.  They also brought me a dessert with a lit candle (though no singing this time) - I felt very properly feted.

Wednesday night, I went with another work pal to see King Lear at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City.  I considered this another birthday treat because I share the same birthday with the actor who played Lear, Austin Pendleton.  I had never been to this venue before, so it was fun to discover a new theater space.  Again, I saw an early preview, so I'll just share thoughts.  As I understand it, this particular production of Lear is set in an assisted living facility and Lear himself is suffering from dementia.  I found that an interesting-enough concept, though it didn't seem to be utilized consistently through the production.  The acting, on the whole, was very good, though at times some of the acting styles didn't really mesh together.  I did think Austin Pendleton was a terrific Lear - he underplayed the bombast, which made his banishment of Cordelia even more chilling, and his relationship with his Fool seemed very real.  Other actors overplayed greatly, which in such a small space maybe wasn't a good idea.  We were in the front row, and one or two of the fight scenes got uncomfortably close, and, oh, the chairs were most uncomfortable, but on the whole, it was a fun evening with a fun work pal.

Then, last night was the last birthday treat I got for myself.  Oh, I have other theater tickets coming up (a couple of Sondheim revivals, which makes me SO happy!) and ballet season starts really soon, but I think I've celebrated myself long enough.  For my last treat, I went to see Tan Dun (Oscar-winning composer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) conduct two world premieres of his work: one was called "Symphony of Colors-Terracotta," which he wrote to commemorate the opening of a new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the other piece was a new concerto based on his score for the film Hero.  The concert was in the auditorium of the Met.  Even though I skipped out of work a little early so I could look at the exhibit before the concert, because of the weather, it took me longer to get there than I planned.  So I only had time to check out some Egyptian art and the Temple of Dendur before sitting for the concert.  As for the music, it was terrific.  There were screens on stage that showed pieces of art from the new exhibition and they matched the music beautifully.  The last movement was rather thrilling - as we saw more and more terracotta warriors, the music built as well.  Tan Dun was a generous and exciting conductor; I often found myself watching him instead of the projections on the screen.  The second piece, based on his film score, was GORGEOUS. I totally need to see that movie now.  There were three excellent soloists (a pianist, a cellist and a violinist) and they were terrifically supported by the Juilliard Orchestra.  Really, everything about the evening was first rate and I'm so glad I went.  I should remember to celebrate things more often... :)