Picture This
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Sunset Rock [October 8, 2007] by Susan wides: Chromogenic print. 37 1/2 x 30 inches |
We find the Hudson River an endless source of inspiration, so it’s no wonder that artists do, too. This month, the Hudson River Museum unveils the new exhibition, Susan Wides: The Hudson Valley, from Mannahatta to Kaaterskill. Wides, a contemporary photographer influenced by the Hudson River School, will display three groups of photographs: “Kaaterskill,” about the upper Hudson Valley, “Mannahatta,” about urban life, and photos for in-between—newly created for this exhibition—about, our favorite: Westchester County. In total, 50 large-scale photos will be on display, and you might recognize a few of the places featured. (Indian Point, anyone?) The exhibition will be on view through September 11.
(Really) Late Night With Dave Attell
Poor sleepers probably don’t need an introduction to Dave Attell. They probably remember him from his Comedy Central show, the aptly named Insomniac, in which he’d stay up all night in a different city, cracking jokes with the different night owls he’d encounter. His antics led him to be named one of the “25 Funniest People in America” by Entertainment Weekly. Need proof? Attell will do his stand-up act at the Tarrytown Music Hall on May 20.
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David Crosby and Graham Nash - Partner Content -
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Déjà Vu
When you’re in a musical partnership with someone for four decades, you can never quite shake that collaborative spirit. Though Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young released their last album of new songs in 1999, the band members still haven’t lost the desire to team up and write music with each other in different combinations. David Crosby and Graham Nash will embark on a tour together, performing both acoustic and electric versions of their songs with a full backing band. Crosby even promises that the duo will break out some songs that they haven’t had a chance to record yet, so they’ll be brand-new to audience ears. Crosby and Nash will bring their tour to the Stamford Center for the Arts on May 22.
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Broadway’s Ben Vereen |
Big Ben
Ben Vereen’s Broadway accomplishments are too numerous to count. The Tony- and Drama Desk-winner has had rave-inspiring turns in Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Jelly’s Last Jam, and Fosse, among others. (And that’s not even counting his Emmy-winning TV work.) But, on May 1, he’s trading in the Broadway stage for one that’s a little smaller: that of the Irvington Town Hall Theater. There, he’ll give an intimate performance of his “greatest hits” to benefit the local Westco Productions. Spring for VIP tickets, and you can also attend a dessert reception and meet-and-greet with the star.
Much Ado About Ado
Shakespeare may be familiar, but he isn’t easy. If you’re mounting a new version of, say, Much Ado About Nothing, you have about four-hundred years worth of prior productions to compete with (including the Kenneth Branagh film with the hilariously in-over-his-head Keanu Reeves playing Don John). Talk about pressure, eh? Joanna Settle, the artistic director of Shakespeare on the Sound, will talk about her vision for this summer’s Much Ado About Nothing (featuring music by Passing Strange’s Stew and Heidi Rodewald). Presented as part of the Insights and Revelations series, Settle will lead an open rehearsal of the show, then stick around for a Q&A and reception. The event takes place on May 26 at the Emelin Theatre.
Continue reading for our Home Theater and Broadway Box Office sections
Home Theater
What to add to your DVD queue this month
No Strings Attached
DVD Release Date: May 10, Dreamworks Video
When recent Oscar winner Natalie Portman isn’t all twitchy with paranoia and self-doubt, as she is in Black Swan, she’s actually quite charming. And, while on-screen love-interest Ashton Kutcher isn’t half-bad either, what really sets this movie apart from the churned-out rom-coms out there is a supporting cast of likable folks, including Mindy Kaling, Greta Gerwig, Olivia Thirlby, and Lake Bell. Their easy chemistry sets the perfect mood the next time you want to stay at home with a cheesy chick-flick.
Blue Valentine
DVD Release Date: May 10, Anchor Bay Entertainment
Even though Blue Valentine is also about a romance between two attractive stars—Michelle Wiliiams and Ryan Gosling, this time—unlike No Strings Attached, it’s not a fun, festive movie to watch. It’s actually quite a bummer. But, focusing on the heartbreaking way one marriage is falling apart gives the two actors a lot of meat to work with, and it’s worth watching for their performances. You can see how Michelle Williams earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for this one.
Kaboom
DVD Release Date: May 31, MPI Home Video
Think of it as Skins meets Terminator: this film is half teen comedy about young people and their oversexed university existences, half sci-fi-noir mystery about the upcoming end of the world. In other words, it’s totally crazy, but only in the enjoyable way that art-house director Gregg Araki—whose previous films include Mysterious Skin and The Doom Generation—can get away with.
A Clockwork Orange
DVD Release Date: May 31, Warner Home Video
In a county that has its own Korova Milk Bar, there’ve got to be some fans of Stanley Kubrick’s classic. (What that says about us is something else.) For the film’s 40th anniversary, a new Blu-ray of the movie is being released. It’ll come with a book of photos and production notes, a new 25-minute documentary about the “ultra-violence” in the film, and an interview with Malcolm McDowell. If you’ve got deep pockets, instead spring for the Stanley Kubrick: Limited Edition Collection Blu-ray, which contains all of the bonus material from A Clockwork Orange in addition to every film the director made since1960.
Broadway Box Office
5 Questions for…Larchmont Actor John Treacy Egan—Joey in Sister Act on Broadway
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John Treacy Egan |
In recent years, Larchmont actor John Treacy Egan (The Producers; Jekyll & Hyde) has played an anxious dad in Bye Bye Birdie and a wacky chef in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. These days, he’s in touch with his darker side, chasing after a diva queen-turned-faux-nun as Joey, a crafty thug, in Sister Act. Based on the smash 1992 motion picture starring Whoopi Goldberg and featuring a fresh new score by Oscar and Grammy winner Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Enchanted), a resident of Northern Westchester, the new musical comedy opened recently at the Broadway Theatre.
How does the show compare to the movie? The show takes the story a little further. And unlike the movie, which is set in the early eighties, the show takes place in 1977, so it reflects more of the musical elements of that time—like disco.
How would you describe your character, Joey? He’s a smart, loyal thug—the ringleader’s right-hand man.
How are you like your character? Well, we both sing! Also we both take orders and follow directions well.
Have you had any personal experience with thugs? No.
What about nuns? I went to Catholic School from first to sixth grade—Saints John & Paul in Larchmont—so yes. But, unlike the typical stereotype of nuns as dry and nasty, ours were very lovable, warm, and sweet—just like the ones in the show.
// Laurie Yarnell
