New (to me) Worlds

I've seen three very exciting pieces over the last week and before I fly off to Texas for a work trip (hopefully it will be interesting enough for a report when I return), I thought I'd jot down some thoughts.

I went to an early preview of If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka at Playwrights Horizons.  I have my subscription, you know, and I've also heard about the playwright, Tori Sampson, for a while, so I was happy to check it out.  It tells the story of Akim, the most beautiful girl in her African village, and of the people around her.  The story is told very stylistically and, at times, rather like a folk tale.  There are heightened sections with music and dance throughout, and I've never seen anything like it!  I thought it was funny and thought-provoking and really really fascinating.

We first meet Akim when she comes downstage to give a monologue about her beauty and feeling for our ugliness.  It's all really smart and charming and a bit pointed - the ideas of beauty and the power of it are very well-done.  There are other girls in the village, who each get a monologue to talk about their different types of 'beauty', plus we also meet Akim's parents, who want to keep her locked up in the house, and a young boy who has his eye on Akim.  The fact that one of the other village girls has her eye on the young boy is sort of what sets the story in motion.

Notions of female power, female jealousy, parental unawareness, and societal pressures on young girls are everywhere in the piece.  There's a lot to laugh at and a lot to seriously ponder.  I'll admit that I was a bit confused by a section towards the end, and the ending might be rather controversial, I don't know.  I'm not sure what I thought about it, but I do know that I was completely engaged and thoroughly taken with If Pretty Hurts....  I'm thinking of going back after it opens (I have a friend on the production team and she said there have been quite a few changes made - I'd be really interested to see them).  But I don't think you'll see another story told in quite this way, and I think this playwright has a singular voice, so I recommend you check her play out.

I went to Signature Theatre to catch the revival of Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.  The original production at Second Stage was one of the first reviews I ever blogged (you can check it out HERE).  I just think Lynn Nottage is one of the smartest, most terrific writers around and I'm so grateful to Signature that I can watch some of her 'old' stuff while I look forward to her new plays.  

As you can see from my review above, I really enjoyed Vera Stark the first time I saw it - I think I liked it even more this time (since I lay out the plot in that post, I don't need to do it again).  I thought the cast was really fantastic all around and time has made the differences between acts one and two even more pointed.  In the aftermath of #OscarsSoWhite and other nonsense that more and more people are finally beginning to notice, the struggle of women of color in Hollywood continues to be an issue, and Nottage's use of the past and present is even sharper.  Who can play what roles?  And what are the consequences of playing them?  Or NOT playing them?  So many fascinating ideas.  The play is still fast and funny, but it's also biting and sad and very true.  The production's run has been extended and you should definitely check it out.  

I have friends who are participating this year in the Cherry Lane's Mentor Project, and when I went to the kickoff celebration, the Cherry Lane offered a discount if you bought a ticket to all three shows.  Last Friday was the first in the series, by a writer I'm not familiar with.  But you can just bet that I will be keeping my eye on Kareem M. Lucas - I thought he was FABULOUS!  His piece is called The Maturation of an Inconvenient Negro (or iNegro).  Lucas is an actor and performance artist and he's been working on a trilogy of plays about 'The Poet,' and he's been working with poet Craig 'muMs' Grant as his mentor.  The piece is about a young man working through issues of understanding himself, the world, and of being seen as his authentic self.  Lucas plays 'The Poet' and has a charming, very ingratiating performance style, but when it's time for him to be intense and focused, he is laser-sharp.  The piece begins rather informally, with Lucas walking through the audience, talking about how "he wants to write a piece so Black that..." and then he shares an idea.  They start off pretty funny, but then he has bigger and bigger ideas about what he wants his piece to be.  I especially laughed at (my paraphrasing) that he wants to write a piece so Black that Roundabout will only cast it with white people, and that he wants to write a piece so Black that it won't be performed unless there's a certain percentage of people of color in the audience.  These were a couple of the lighter, earlier thoughts - they got deeper and darker as the piece went on.

He engaged with the audience throughout (he had one line about how a one-night-stand turned into a bad three-year-relationship and there was a girl in the audience who clicked her fingers; he looked at her and said 'you clicked for THAT?!'  It was pretty funny) and spun a tale of a young man desperate to find himself and where he fits in the world.  But it wasn't like any other story I've ever heard.  His impassioned letter to Disney about how they're ruining young minds was inspired.  Much of the piece was inspired and I was so glad to have been there.

After the piece, there was a talkback and I was just as impressed with Kareem Lucas after the play as I was during.  He made sure to engage with all of the young people in the house who asked a question - he asked them their name and said it was nice to meet them and he thoughtfully gave very smart and detailed answers to all of the questions.  He made a lot of fans that night, including me.  Though I'm more jazzed about all of the young people who are now fans of his, I'm sure, after a terrific show and a terrific bit of engagement.  iNegro runs until March 2 and I highly recommend you see it.  Again, it's something I haven't seen before and my eyes are a little more open than they were last week.  That's always a grand thing.

Preview Thoughts on Boesman and Lena

I'm very fortunate that I have a lot of good theater coming up - I'm always trying to keep my eyes open for new work that will stimulate my brain.  But there are also my favorite authors whose plays I absolutely will not miss.  Athol Fugard is one of those writers.  If you're interested, you can remind yourself of my rhapsodic reviews of BLOOD KNOT, MY CHILDREN, MY AFRICA, PAINTED ROCKS AT REVOLVER CREEK, and MASTER HAROLD...AND THE BOYS.  I always find his work utterly compelling and devastating - they tell of a world that is foreign yet familiar to me and the language he uses continually breaks my heart.  I admit that I have never seen, or even read, Boesman and Lena, so I was especially excited to get a chance to see it at my beloved Signature Theatre.

Boesman and Lena is a tough tough play, very surreal and almost Beckett-like (there's even a Waiting for Godot-ish tree on stage).  There's violence and ugliness throughout (there's also humor and beauty, but it's fewer and farther between).  It's very dialogue-heavy and it's a little over two hours without intermission, so it's a commitment.  I saw an early preview, so I'm sure the pace will tighten, but this play certainly isn't for everyone.  In the interest of full disclosure, there were quite a few walkouts the night I was there.  Happily, I wasn't one of them.  I saw much of Fugard's timeless depiction of despair tinged with hope throughout, although I do admit that there were small stretches where my mind wandered.  Spoilers will be in my thoughts below - you have been warned.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

This production begins with two bedraggled characters entering through the house, seemingly carrying all of their belongings.  They stop and look around and seem to be looking right at the audience - are we becoming complicit?  Are we the ones who set them on the journey?  It was never actually clear to me who we (the audience) were supposed to be, since we were also gazed at during the last scene as well.  The characters, Boesman and Lena, end up on stage and start to build an encampment around the tree.  We hear that they have been evicted from their homestead (the play takes place in South Africa during apartheid) and have been trying to find a new place to settle.  Lena complains about how long they've been traveling, about how violently Boesman treats her, and is frequently just trying to work out her life to herself aloud.  Her monologues are a bit rambly and repetitive, but still harrowing in parts.  The bits she told us about all of her babies who have died are heartbreaking.

Boesman is violent and belligerent, and Lena clearly resents the treatment, yet they are still spiritually connected.  This changes when the third character, an old man the other two call Outa, appears.  He doesn't speak their language, but his very existence is something Lena has been yearning for - someone who doesn't hit or hate, but someone who listens to her, who seems to have empathy.  She even teaches him to say her name and the happiness she radiates when he says it is quite lovely.  Throughout the rest of the play, the centers of power shift, surprisingly, until an unexpected event stuns all three.

Even though the play was written during the time of apartheid, the idea of these wanderers, refugees almost, looking for their place because white people keep taking their place away, is hard to confront.  The play is directed by a South African woman and it seems to me she has a special ear for their dialogue and what is underneath their dialogue.  She also shows compassion for all three characters, even though on the surface, the angry Boesman perhaps doesn't deserve it.  His behavior isn't excused, but there is underlying pain that explains.  His monologue about becoming 'white man's rubbish' is again really hard to hear.  Maybe that's why so many people walked out?  I guess we can't know.

I don't think Boesman and Lena gets performed as often as some of Fugard's other plays - its density could be a reason, or its patches of unrelenting despair.  But, as usual, Fugard's compassion for these people shines through and his dialogue contains wonderments.  The actors are all excellent, but still seem to be finding their way.  I'm sure by the time the play opens next week, all will be as harrowing as it should be.  This isn't an easy play to watch, but it's a valuable piece to experience.  Especially now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(I started this post yesterday, so please forgive the lateness and the inaccuracies...)

Yeah, I don't know why I named this post for a holiday I don't much enjoy.  It's probably worth a blog post someday, but today's not that day.  Although I do pass out goofy little valentines at work, so...I don't know.  Hope springs eternal and you all remember my avoidance/denial way of life.  I thought I'd fill you in on a few things I've been up to and hopefully can get myself back on a schedule.  I've actually been writing so much during the workday that it's hard to blog after work.  My brain is pretty empty most of the evening now.  But I promise to try harder.

A few weeks ago, I got an email from the NY Philharmonic, completely out of the blue.  I have a ticket to a concert later this year, so I guess they just emailed their entire single ticket list - they were offering two-for-one $25 tickets to their Lunar New Year concert.  I looked at the program and saw that they would be presenting the US premiere of a new concerto by Tan Dun.  You may remember that I took myself a couple of years ago to a concert of his music and enjoyed myself greatly (you can remind yourself of my thoughts
HERE).  Their other offerings also looked interesting, and hello, $25 for two tickets!  Why not?!  I took my dear IHBB and we had a grand evening.

After a delicious glass of cotes du rhone at Epicerie Boulud across the street from Lincoln Center, we braved the nasty rainy weather over to David Geffen Hall.  The security at the venue has been ramped up and it was rather a mess down there in the lobby, which I'm sure was made worse by the bad weather.  But there were confusing lines all over the lobby and very few staff members there to direct patrons.  Thankfully, we had gotten there early-ish so we could find the restrooms before the concert started, so we made it through the lines and the metal detectors in plenty of time.  Also, I had gotten several emails and even a voice mail from the Philharmonic, telling me that the concert would have no intermission and they couldn't guarantee any late entry, so that was another reason to be there a little on the early side.  Other unfortunate audience members didn't pay attention to those details, I'm thinking.  People were being let in after the first and second pieces, which wasn't a huge deal, but my seat neighbors were quite incensed to have missed watching them live.  Anyway.  Oh, and before I forget, the playbill at the Philharmonic is awesome - it has descriptions of every piece and a little boxed 'in short' section that tells you when/where/duration/more about every piece.  I liked that very much.

The first piece on the program was a sweet little overture called "Spring Festival Overture," by Li Huanzhi. It was brief, lilting, and a nice start to the evening.  The piece was written in the 50s, but is frequently performed at the Philharmonic, which is nice.  After that piece was the Tan Dun violin concerto, "Fire Ritual - A Musical Ritual for Victims of War."  There was an extended break between the first and second pieces; the musicians changed out and something else happened that I didn't notice until well-into the second piece.  The lights went back down and something incredibly complex began...

photo credit: Xinhua

There was the sound of a solo violin, almost disembodied, and I could tell they weren't on stage because the conductor was facing out and conducting into the audience.  I realized that the violinist (Bomsori Kim) was walking up the aisle, playing strange and beautifully dissonant music - she was the shaman (according to the notes in the program) and suddenly you heard more music from around the house.  I suddenly noticed that musicians were positioned inside the house, to the sides of the audience, playing gorgeously strange sounds.  

I thought this piece was fascinating and thrilling at times and I so want to hear it again.  I felt as if I couldn't take in everything Tan Dun was trying to do.  Occasionally, the instruments sounded like birds; the musicians hummed and stamped their feet; there was even a bit where the orchestra shook the pages of their score to signify the sound of wind.  It was all so interesting and beautiful and complicated and very moving.  There was an interesting promo video for a CD of this piece (which I just purchased, btw, I can't wait to listen again!) that you might enjoy:  VIDEO.  The piece really defies description but I highly recommend your listening to it.

Next up was the Queen of the Night's famous aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute.  I have a recording on my phone of Sumi Jo doing the aria and I love it.  It was fun to finally hear it live, though.  It's quite a showpiece for a soprano.  I thought the soloist, So Young Park, did a beautiful job with it.  The trills and all those high notes seemed to come pretty easily to her, but she wasn't smug or showing off about it.  It was lovely.  She did a second piece, "Shin Arirang," which is a traditional Korean folk song.  It was also very sweet, and she had a nice easy smile on her face through the whole thing.  I found So Young Park to be lovely and I'll be looking for more of her recordings, too.

After the arias came a suite from Stravinsky's "The Firebird," which is one of my favorite orchestral pieces/scores.  It's just so thrilling with its sounds of danger then forgiveness.  I admit to getting a tear in my eye at the start of the last movement after the Lullaby.  It's exciting to listen to and I frankly forgot there was another piece after.  It was also very nice, "Train Toccata," which was also being premiered with the Philharmonic.  It was brief, about five minutes, with mournful sounds of a train whistle alongside the forward-moving beat of the toccata.  I might have preferred hearing it before the Stravinsky, but that's probably just me.  

I forgot to mention that the evening was a debut for conductor Kahchun Wong, as well.  He is a recent winner of the Mahler Conducting Competition and seems to be making debuts all around the world.  I found him to be delightful - he was obviously enjoying himself throughout the evening and seemed to relish the work by the musicians.  After each piece, he would go around to the various instrument sections and ask the soloists to stand up and take a bow, which was very sweet.  I enjoyed watching him very much and look forward to keeping an eye on his career.  The audience was very enthusiastic at the end of the concert and even though the house wasn't quite full, it still felt warm and happy inside while it was cold and rainy outside.  I'm glad I took the Philharmonic up on their generous discount offer.

Wow, this post is pretty long already!  I'll just briefly add a couple more things:  I took one last Winter Restaurant Week fling, a dinner at Bobo, a very cute French restaurant in the village.  It's tiny and they seated me at a very cramped table in the front, which was annoying at first because a person who was supposed to have left before I arrived was still sitting in my seat.  I stood there and she said just a minute then continued to sit there.  Sometimes I hate people.  She finally got up and left and I tucked myself into my corner table.

Like most fairly-authentic French restaurants, the service was, uh, leisurely.  My server came to chat with me whenever he had a mind to, so I was there for quite a while.  As I describe my courses, imagine them being spread out over around two hours.  I got there during happy hour, so I was grateful to have a steeply-discounted glass of another delicious cotes du rhone.  For my first course, I got the butternut squash soup, which had pieces of roasted butternut squash at the bottom of the bowl, along with a smattering of toasted pepitas and a drizzle of creme fraiche.  It was really yummy, very earthy and rich, and the crunch of the pepitas was just right.  I enjoyed the soup very much.  I'll include some pictures, but the part of the restaurant where I was sitting was pretty dark, which is good for taking pictures of yourself (candlelight is always flattering), but not so good for food.  

I used the photoshop on my phone - you still can't tell how great it looked

For the main course I got the cassoulet, because when else can you get cassoulet?  And MAN was it good!  Cassoulet is basically a stew/casserole that has white beans and lots of pork, covered in bread crumbs.  I mean, seriously, what could be bad about that?!  This was SO delicious, I can barely describe it.  It was presented in a small cast-iron skillet, but was so full of rich, meaty flavor, I couldn't finish.  I'm thinking there were chunks of pork belly in there (SO GOOD), and also some duck (SO GOOD) and some garlicky sausage (my least favorite ingredient, but still good).  The bread crumbs were crunchy and buttery and the perfect accompaniment to the stew.  Well, not really a stew, since there wasn't much liquid, but there was much flavor.  I would totally get that dish again - I've been thinking about it ever since I had it.

For dessert, I got the lemon tarte, with a swirl of pomegranate molasses.  This was lemony and tart and delicious.  For me, it maybe needed a touch more sugar in the lemon curd, but it wasn't a big deal.  It had huge lemon flavor, and the thick shortbread crust was delicious, too.  I almost thought about getting some tea to go with it, but I was fine.  I was seriously stuffed after the meal - so much good food and good wine!  I was also reading a charming book on my Nook, though I did have to put it away because I was too busy eavesdropping on my seat neighbors...

About my restaurant seat neighbors - it was a couple of gal pals, probably in their late 20s or early 30s.  They finished two bottles of wine while I had my three course meal, so they got increasingly loud as the evening went on.  One of the ladies has a new beau, as far as I can tell, and they spent most of the evening dissecting a text he sent.  ONE TEXT.  They were a bit exhausting.  And very TMI.  I learned entirely too much about their methods of contraception and why they chose them.  They also asked me about every course I ordered, but didn't order any food themselves.  It was...interesting.  When I left, they bid me farewell and called them their silent food partner.  I guess you just never know.

I also went to see a new play at the Cherry Lane Theater:  God Said This by Leah Nanako Winkler.  You may remember I saw this play at the Humana Fest last year - here's what I said about it then:  "Our last play of the day was God Said This by Leah Nanako Winkler.  This play recently won the Yale Drama Prize and will be at Primary Stages next season, so it's maybe the most high-profile of the Humana line-up.  I enjoyed it quite a bit - it's a moving story about a family, illness, redemption, and sacrifice.  It's quite human, very moving and terrifically acted.  A fractured family comes together around the gravely-ill mother, trying to finish her last round of chemo.  The father is a recovering alcoholic, one daughter is a born-again Christian and the other has been estranged from her family for seven years.  It sounds a bit 'been there, done that,' but it's all done with great humanity and wonderful acting.  I thought the father's monologues, as if he's speaking at an AA meeting, were very well done, and set the tone for the play.  The physical production, and the direction, were very good, too.  I was happy to be back in a good place after the earlier play."     

photo credit: James Leynse

I kept considering going back to see the play, but since I had already seen it, and enjoyed it (as you can tell from my thoughts above), it wasn't at the top of my list.  Then, I saw a thread on Twitter about a particular review of the play.  The review was so stupidly racist, while trying to seem so 'woke,' it pissed me off.  The producing company, very smartly, offered a new discount code and put it on Twitter.  So I bought another ticket and actually, I'm really glad I did.  I thought the play seemed much richer and deeper this time around.  It's the same cast, so they've lived with these characters for a long time.  But also, being done in a proscenium production at the Cherry Lane (instead of in-the-round at Humana) really heightened the feelings of frustration, helplessness, fear, and fury.  Because the space was more contained, the emotions seemed bigger, because there wasn't as much air.  Does that make sense?  Anyway, I'm sorry that the stupid critic was so stupid, but I'm glad I saw God Said This again.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the playwright brings us next.

I guess that's enough for now.  I've got some new plays and musicals on my calendar, so hopefully, as I keep saying, I can get back in the blogging groove.  It's actually a little bittersweet to think about sharing my posts on Facebook anymore, because one of my most loyal readers, and a dearly beloved teacher at my college, passed away recently.  He always emailed me after reading my thoughts about a show - I will miss that.  And him.  But thanks to the rest of you here for sticking with me.

Winter RW 2019 - Charlie Palmer Steak and Bombay Bread Bar

Yay!  Restaurant Week is here again!  My consumption of new food has had to decrease because of the cost increase, but that's ok.  So far I've enjoyed two meals and I have one to go.  Since I don't have any new theater to talk about, let's chat about food!

I had forgotten that I've already been to Charlie Palmer Steak, but when a co-worker suggested we go there for a RW lunch, I happily accepted.  Their menu looked very tasty and yummy food is yummy food, whether I've been to the restaurant before or not, right?  Off we went last week for the now-two-course lunch (I do miss the desserts, but oh well).  If you want to refresh your memory about my previous trip to Charlie Palmer Steak, which included a little chef fangirly-ness, you can see that HERE.  

For some reason, we were again seated near the entrance instead of truly inside the space, which is strange.  The space inside didn't seem full, and it would be nice to actually be seated near the kitchen area to watch the chefs, but oh well.  At least the food was very tasty.  For my first course, I got the fresh tagliatelle with roasted chestnuts and crispy guanciale.  Oh, good golly, this was grand.  At first, when the very nice server set the bowl down, I thought 'that's it?!'  The serving seemed quite small.  But the dish was so yummy and satisfying, it was actually the perfect size for a first course.  The pasta was beautifully made, with a terrific chew, and the ragu of chestnuts and guanciale was unique.  I thought the taste would be heavy-ish, but it was actually very light and tender.  The saltiness of the guanciale was offset by the meatiness of the chestnuts, and their dice was so small and precise, everything just melted in my mouth.  It was delicious.

For my second course, I almost got the pork belly (I mean, hello, pork belly), but then I thought I didn't need to have pork in both courses.  I probably overthought it.  Anyway, I decided to get the MSG Charlie Palmer Steak Sandwich.  It is a seared New York strip, with caramelized onions and the chef's signature sauce (apparently the MSG means that the sandwich is the official steak sandwich of Madison Square Garden; uh, ok).  I will pretty much eat anything that features caramelized onions, because yum.  The sandwich was really good - the meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly and the onions were sweet and delicious.  The signature sauce had a little bit of a kick to it, which was nice.  It seemed ketchup-based, which is fine by me.  Fries came on the side; they were a nice surprise.  The fries were just the way I like them, crispy and salty.  So good.  Again, the serving size seemed small at first, but the flavors were so satisfying, I couldn't finish.  So I need to stop thinking like an American when they put a plate of food in front of me...

Even though I was sorry there was no dessert included, I was so full, I probably wouldn't have been able to eat dessert anyway.  Though it would've been nice to have a little something something sweet after the meal.  Oh well.  But I again enjoyed eating at Charlie Palmer Steak and would be happy to go back, even not during RW.  I really do think my daddy would enjoy it.

For years, I've wanted to eat at a Floyd Cardoz restaurant.  I never got to Tabla, which was a bummer, then I saw him on Top Chef Masters (I miss that show, I wish it would come back; did they run out of Masters?) and found him delightful.  I've been waiting to be able to taste his food and I'm happy to have finally had the chance.  Bombay Bread Bar is his new-ish spot, replacing Paowalla down in the Village.  It's a pricey place, but I was happy to use my jury duty reimbursement check to pay for my RW dinner there.

What a fun spot!  It's all brightly colored and cheery, with cool art and funky decorative touches all around - even in the restroom!  The staff is friendly, without being too obtrusive, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.  The cost puts Bombay Bread Bar into the 'special event' category, but that's ok.  I was texting my sister photos of my meal and she wants to go the next time she visits, so that will be a special event!

I did a little internet research before going, so I would have a little more detail on the food items on the RW menu.  I had my choices narrowed down to just a couple of dishes, and the very pleasant server helped me make up my mind.  As soon as I sat down, though, I needed to order a cocktail.  Which, of course, is not included in the cost of a RW meal, but it was so bloody cold out, I needed some alcohol to warm up.  I chose the tamarind margarita, which was DELICIOUS.  Just perfectly balanced, and smartly only puts salt on half the glass rim.  At least it's smart for me, because I can never finish that salt.  The drink was amazing by itself and also tasty with my food, so thumbs up on that cocktail.

Every table gets an order of rosemary naan with three chutneys - tamarind, tomato, and mint cilantro.  The bread was so light and airy, yet crispy, too.  And the chutneys were incredible, even the mint cilantro.  I don't really enjoy cilantro, but that chutney was so light and clean-tasting.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.  But tamarind chutney will always be my favorite.  

For my first course, I ordered the Sindhi Dal Pakhwan, which had lentils, spiced chickpeas, spicy yogurt, tamarind chutney, crispy puri (crackers), and pomegranate seeds.  OK, this was SO good.  Again, so much going on, with textures and spices and flavors, it was delightful.  It was almost like a Indian version of seven-layer dip (I know, I'm such a Midwesterner), but I loved it.

I was hesitating between ordering the short ribs or the halibut for my second course - when I asked my server, he did not hesitate.  He recommended the halibut as something very special.  OK then.  Boy, was he right!!  It was amazing!  It comes coated in some kind of puffed rice, in a tomato broth with roasted butternut squash and a crispy split pea.  It was served with a side of lemon pilaf.  This will definitely be going onto my favorite dishes of 2019 list!  I couldn't have imaged how amazing halibut coated in crispy rice could be, but IT IS.  The fish was cooked perfectly and the broth had just the right amount of acidity.  The crispy split peas were also really tasty, and the sprinkling of little pieces of soft butternut squash was perfect.  Just incredible.

For dessert, I was indecisive for about a minute, then I ordered the Gulab Nut, soaked in old monk rum syrup and served with pistachio cream.  I had no idea that Indian doughnuts were what I needed in my life!!  After the first bite, I immediately posted on Facebook that I am now dating that doughnut.  It was soooooooo delicious, sweet and cakey, boozy and creamy.  Another nominee (and it's only January) for best dish of the year.  Even though I was practically ready to explode, I couldn't stop eating that delicious thing.  Thumbs WAY up for the doughnut.

Obviously, I loved my meal at Bombay Bread Bar.  I wish it were a little less pricey there, but I will definitely be back.  I had a book (which coincidentally is set in India - synergy!) and enjoyed a nice, leisurely dinner.  I highly recommend your going.  Having said all that, though, maybe I should point out that I'm a wimp when it comes to highly-spiced and/or food with a lot of heat.  For me, the food at Bombay Bread Bar was perfect, because it was subtly spiced and not too hot.  I found it tasty and delighfully complex, but perhaps people looking for a more authentic chili experience would be disappointed. I sure wasn't.  My only problem was that I was so full, I couldn't get on the subway right away after I left the restaurant and it was awfully cold to walk around, but I did.  It all worked out well and I hope to get another unexpected reimbursement check in the mail and I'll use it for more delicious food by Floyd Cardoz.

I want plates like this one

my first course

even the bathroom was cool!

from my walk to the subway

I do enjoy lights

    

The January Blahs

Sorry there has again been a long stretch with no blogging.  I'm currently finding myself feeling a little bit listless.  I'm not sure if it's the post-holiday blahs, or the gray winter blahs, or a cold that just won't go away, or the fear that my stupid ceiling will collapse because the building won't repair it until spring, or the 'would menopause start already' blahs, or what.  But I'm struggling to find pleasure in much of anything right now, so I've been burrowing down.  I pretty much want to sleep all.the.time, though I'm also finding it hard to sleep.  I'm really ready for January to be complete (though Restaurant Week has just started, so there's always that to be happy about)...

I have had some terrific moments, though:  I went to see a dear friend's concert last weekend and was entranced.  He is just the most talented musician and I can't wait for the world to discover his wonderfulness.  I went with a handsome pal and we had a grand time - we even crashed the after-party and enjoyed ourselves even more!  So that was a good day.

photo credit: Sarah Rebell

I had a fun, yet super busy weekend at BroadwayCon a couple of weeks ago.  You might remember I went last year and my office sent me again this year.  My company isn't exactly the target audience for the BroadwayCon participants, but it was good to meet so many young people who love theater.  I moderated a panel with some fabulous writers and I think it went well.  So although the weekend was EXHAUSTING, it was also pretty valuable.  I also was thrilled to meet the husband of one of my 2007 game show opponents, which was random and hysterical!  So thumbs up for BroadwayCon.

I saw a Broadway show recently that I, well, loathed, so I won't write about it.  Actually, I won't write about the first act because that's all I saw.  I'm sure this means it will get raves from all the press.  Sometimes I just get so mad at the myopic producers who think this is what people want to see on Broadway!  Gah!  I'm in the middle of working with a committee about the excellent work we saw last year, so it's hard to get my head into new shows at the moment.  But, still, I think we can do better than that piece.  Happily, I HAVE seen an amazing show, which I'll talk about in a bit...

My job sent me to a college in New Jersey to lead a session at the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival local region.  That was fun - the students were curious and interesting and we had a terrific dialogue.  I have another ACTF trip coming up at the end of the month; I'll be headed to Abilene, TX!  I've never been there, so I'm looking forward to it.  If only I could finish the travel plans, we'd be all set.  I have other work trips coming up to Portland, OR, and Evanston, IL, later this spring.  I can't wait to enjoy myself during the trips, but the planning of all of these events may be my undoing!  I seem to be losing the ability to multitask successfully, and everything I don't get done keeps me awake at night.  Let's all put some good vibes out in the world that I can move out of the blahs and back into super-planner mode asap.

But my absolute favorite thing about January has been seeing my darling IHBB's new play, Secret Identity, which is currently enjoying a run at The Flea.  I can't really review it, because I adore him and have absolutely no objectivity about him or his work.  But I CAN say, even with sharing my bias, Secret Identity is a wonderful play and it's being given a wonderful production by TOSOS.  If you don't know, TOSOS is New York City’s oldest and longest producing LGBTQ+ theater company.  They do amazing work, featuring artists who should be household names, but aren't.  I'm proud to have worked with TOSOS over the years and I fervently believe they are well worth supporting.  Check out their website and read about their amazing history:  history of TOSOS.  

I've seen Secret Identity twice already and plan to see it two more times before it closes.  It's getting great reviews by people other than me, so you should all go see it.  In these times of division and hatred, seeing a show about empathy and compassion (and superheroes!!) is what we all need right now.  The cast is to die for and I'm just so proud of my dear friend, I could burst.  PLEASE go downtown to the Flea and check out this beautiful play.  It may be just what YOU need to shake off these January blahs!

Thoughts on Slave Play

In my zealousness to keep an eye on my gender parity in theater-viewing, there are a few plays by men (sorry) that fell by the wayside last year.  One of them was Jeremy O Harris' Slave Play.  Even though I didn't really plan to see it, I also didn't read all that much about it, preferring to hear about it from trusted friends if and when we needed to discuss it for work purposes.  Before the holidays, though, a handsome friend invited me to be his guest at last Saturday's performance at New York Theatre Workshop and I happily joined him.  So I went in rather blindly, with a few vague thoughts about what I was going to see.  After I saw the play, I went online to look at the reviews and promptly fell down a rabbit hole of commentary.  Oh my.  And so, for many many reasons, I feel as if I can't, and shouldn't, use the word 'review' to talk about Slave Play.  I'll just offer some thoughts, scattered though they may be; spoilers will most likely follow...

Actually, if you're planning on seeing the play (and I think you should), I'd stop reading now.  I had no idea where Slave Play would lead me and that's part of its appeal.  Even my vague thoughts didn't really prepare me for how it would unfold and I'd recommend that method for you, too.

OK, we're back.  I found Slave Play to be monstrously smart, fabulously acted, stunningly designed and completely provocative.  I laughed and I was also stunned.  I'm not sure that I found it to be completely successful, though, as a piece of theater.  At least successful for me.  It was clever, topical, fascinating, and intellectually engaging most of the time (I do think the play is a little long at an intermission-less two hours), but I couldn't latch onto any emotional connection.  This may be the playwright's intent, I don't know.  This may just be me.  But I wanted to feel more than I did - not that the characters' situations weren't set up to be emotionally moving, I think they were, but somehow my brain and my emotions were not completely connected.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

We first see scenes apparently set in the south during the Civil War, with an African-American character and a white character in different power and sexual dynamics - there's an overseer and a young female slave, the plantation's mistress and her mulatto servant, and a white indentured servant monitored by an African-American land manager.  The dialogue is fresh and interesting, with some very clever juxtapositions to modern-day behavior, which kept my brain wondering what was going on.  All three couples engage in some serious and adult sexual behavior, until one gentleman starts to yell the word "Starbucks! Starbucks!"  Suddenly, two contemporary women come from the back of the house, onto the stage, to stop what's going on.  To say I was taken aback is an understatement.

What we discover is the opening scenes were actually 'fantasy role-playing' in a study being conducted as (what the play calls) antebellum sexual performance therapy, intending to help these interracial couples get through the problem of the African-American partner's inability to achieve sexual pleasure.  Consider my mind blown.  I had no idea that's where we were headed.  What follows is then a group therapy session, led by another interracial couple, who are heading a sociological study about sexual dynamics.  The opening of the therapy session scene is very funny, with lots of scientific buzzwords like 'unpacking' and 'processing' and 'I hear you and...' that cause the audience to laugh at the satirical way these modern intellectuals are depicted, but some of the characters onstage release more frustration than they did during the previous sex scenes.

When we meet the characters as contemporary couples, we soon see that the power structure and the sexual hierarchies are still unbalanced, but not in the way we might imagine.  I did enjoy how the play always kept me on my toes and I couldn't guess where it might be going.  I probably should've seen the last scene coming, but I didn't, which I always appreciate.  But, again, though I can intellectually see how I should've been moved by the last scene, I was more taken aback than moved, and that is an issue for me.  And, again, I don't know if that was the playwright's intent or just my reaction.  Maybe I have failed the playwright, I just don't know.

I thought the set was brilliant, with the upstage wall being completely covered in mirrors, so there was nowhere for anyone to hide, including the audience.  We were unwilling participants, being called to consider our own reactions and ideas throughout.  I definitely enjoyed the provocative quality of the set.  All of the performers were brilliant, in my opinion, brave and willing to seriously dive right off the deep end.  They went to some dark and scary places, I'm thinking.  And I appreciated the boldness of the storytelling and I certainly have never seen THIS story before.  So even though I didn't find Slave Play completely successful, I do think it's worth seeing for the ideas it's putting out there.  I definitely think this is a young playwright to keep an eye on.

When looking at reviews and think pieces afterwards, though, I started to feel bad about saying anything at all.  As a straight, white, cis woman, should I even talk about this play?  There's really no way I can ever really comprehend the magnitude of what's being explored or even satirized.  There's also a faction of people who feel this play shouldn't be produced at all, since it presents slaves and sex in a not-always-negative way (the fact that the characters aren't really slaves doesn't figure into the equation).  That goes a bit too far, I'm thinking.  I'm never for censorship - if you think a play is offensive, don't go and tell everyone you know not to go.  But I do feel uneasy now, either recommending or not recommending people see the play.  That's probably silly, but in these fractious times when I want so badly to be an ally, I certainly don't want to say or do the wrong thing.  I guess we'll just have to see what happens...     

Post-Holiday Catch-Up!

Howdy, dear readers!  I hope 2019 is going swimmingly for you - I've already had a couple of work screwups that make me think I should've stayed in bed for a few more days, but I guess I can get past them.  I had a great time over the break, spending time with my family (most especially my sweetheart), but it was over much too quickly.  Before I went home, I also saw two shows that I neglected to blog about - here's a report on all of that...

Heading home the day before Christmas Eve is a risky proposition - what if the weather doesn't cooperate?  What if I'm driven nuts by the airport?  So many 'what if' issues.  Well, the airport WAS nuts, but I guess it was ok.  It took me over an hour to get my bag checked, then through security, then to the gate.  Fortunately, I'm one of those people who like to be at the airport extra-early, just in case.  Oh, and it also took me almost a half hour to get through the ladies room line.  LaGuardia may be renovating, but they're not doing it fast enough.  I was in a terminal that still isn't spiffed up, so there was one ladies room in the whole gate area, and one of the stalls was broken.  There was basically two places for all the women in Terminal B to go to the bathroom.  NOT FUN.  

seriously?!  on a plane?!

Security was a bit weird, too, now that I think of it.  The woman in front of me was wearing (I kid you not) hip boots, so it took her forever to get out of them.  But I couldn't get around her in line.  So her suitcase went right through the machine, but she was still struggling to get her boots off.  I tried to alert the security guard that a bag was going through unattended, but he seemed unconcerned.  And the bags piled up so quickly on the other side of the scanners, that my liquids and boarding pass popped out of my bin and into someone else's.  What a crazy start to the vacay.

Apparently, there had been some weather issues before I even got there.  There was a family arguing with the gate agent - the agent said, "I can see how you can be frustrated," and the mother said "Yeah, I've already spent one night here, please get us on a plane!"  I also noticed there was a group of three kids who were traveling unaccompanied.  And no one was keeping an eye on them.  They were supposed to be on the flight before mine - when the agent announced the last group to board, the kids were still sitting there.  Finally, someone noticed them and got them on the plane.  I still wonder if their bags made it - the agent kept saying it was a full flight and all of the bags wouldn't make it on board...

My flight itself was fine - I got some reading done and my developing head cold didn't bother me that much.  Earplugs and cold pills are on my definite 'to do' list before boarding a plane.  When I got off the plane at home, I was so happy to see my sweetheart waiting for me.  He's so grown up!  And he very sweetly let me hug him for a very long time, even though we were in public.  I'm just crazy about him.  Oh, ok, I love everyone else in my family, too, lol.

It was a busy week - it seemed like we were doing something every minute, though I don't think we really were.  I helped my mom make our Christmas Eve cookies, which is a tradition; we had a big family Christmas Eve party (and for some reason, I became my six-year-old cousin's very favorite person, so we hung out a lot.  I loved it.); Christmas Day was fun - I got a lot of lovely gifts (the one from my sweetheart was my favorite, of course!) and people seemed to like the gifts I chose for them.  I didn't get to see quite as many holiday lights as I usually do, but that's ok.  I enjoyed spending time with my family, no matter what we did.

photo credit: John Wilson

My sweetheart wanted all of us to see a movie together - he decided on Holmes and Watson.  Well, I had heard it was terrible and people were walking out.  But we went anyway.  It's pretty dumb, and I really don't know why they made it, but we had a good time.  My sweetheart laughed at some stuff, and we all laughed at each other throughout.  I marveled at the demented glee of Will Farrell (whether it's misplaced or not), and there was a fun, and completely unnecessary, musical number.  Oh, and it had Ralph Fiennes.  I hope he got paid a lot.  After the movie, we all went out for dinner (uh, not Ralph Fiennes), so it was a totally fun family afternoon.

photo credit: Jay Maidment

My mom and I went to see Mary Poppins Returns.  I told my mom that I wasn't leaving without seeing it, so she knew what she had to do.  Thankfully, she wanted to see it, too.  She said she was ready for some happiness and fun, which is a great attitude.  And we did have some happiness and fun.  I think I had a smile on my face the entire movie - well, except for the parts where I was crying.  A couple of times I felt as if the movie was trying a little too hard, but that's quibbling.  For the most part, I was enchanted.  The children in the movie were adorable without being annoying, the songs were lovely, the underscoring with music from the original film was a gorgeous bonus, and the joie de vivre of Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda was just wonderful.  I loved the little cameos throughout the movie and just had the best time.  I can't wait to see the film again.

My sweetheart, sister and I got the parents a new big-screen tv, so that was fun to program and watch.  I got my mom to watch the first few episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which is a delight.  I can't wait to find time to binge season two.  I made my parents watch Battle of the Sexes with me, which was great fun.  I can't believe I didn't go to the movies to see it.  It was so well done.  We also watched several episodes of The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, as they were meant to be seen.  Terrific.  Oh, and there was even a tennis tournament in Australia that my mom and I could watch before bedtime.  It was a wonderful week and I was sorry to leave.

Just to add a little sprinkle of theater to this post, before I left, I caught two shows that you should see:  Fabulation, or the re-education of Undine by Lynn Nottage (produced by the Signature Theater), and the Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song.  Fabulation is so funny and so moving, with amazing acting and just smart smart writing.  I mean, I never expect anything less from a play by the incredible Lynn Nottage.  Please go.  And although I had heard some negative reports of Torch Song, I enjoyed myself.  I had actually never seen the play before, so I enjoyed watching the way it all unspooled, and Michael Urie has great charm and empathy.  You all know I love me some charm.  Those plays were a good way to end my year of theater (you can look at my previous post to see what my favorite theatrical experiences of last year were) - now I'm ready for some great stuff to come!  Let's all grab 2019 by the horns and make it the best year ever!