Scenes From American Life - 1971 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 9

Woodie King Jr's New Federal Theatre kicks off its 44th season with 'The Ed Bullins Project' - two revivals from his 'Twentieth Century Cycle of Plays' - In The Wine Time and The Fabulous Miss Marie. Bullins, winner of the prestigious NY Drama Critics' Circle Award and OBIE Award for The Taking of Miss Janie, has greatly influenced American theatre, especially Black theatre. His work, characterized by disdain for ineffective political rhetoric as a substitute for action, most often examines the lives of Black people in the inner city. In 1968, Clive Barnes, writing in the New York Times called Bullins 'a welcome addition to the ranks of New York playwrights.' Four years later, Barnes added 'Bullins writes the way Charlie Parker played: It is all so easy and effortless. It sounds improvised, and yet it doesn't sound improvised, simply because it is the improvisation of formality.' Today, Bullins is regarded as a seminal force in the American theater.

One of the biggest downers perpetrated by American culture is the characterization of Labor Day weekend as the 'unofficial end of summer.' But given what has passed for cabaret entertainment-at least the shows I was able to attend--since the 'unofficial start of summer' on Memorial Day weekend, the end of summer can't come soon enough. But my dismay over the hours lost watching average shows this season was tempered a bit by the pride and joy I felt watching the June performances of three strikingly attractive and talented 30ish brunettes with powerhouse voices-- Jackie Kristel, Karen Gross and Jodi Beck, who all staged entertaining shows as spring was turning to summer.

The Kennedy Center hosts its 12th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival from Saturday, August, 31 to Monday, September 2, 2013, featuring more than 40 theaters from the D.C. metropolitan area, all with a mission to produce and support new work. The three-day, Center-wide event offers a series of free readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals being developed by local, regional, and national playwrights, librettists, and composers. A performance schedule appears on the following pages. Participating theaters include:

O Vertigo Danse and members of the Quebec Contemporary Music Society bring La Vie Qui Bat (The Beat of Life), a powerful multi-disciplinary work, to the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival today, August 7-11.

O Vertigo Danse and members of the Quebec Contemporary Music Society bring La Vie Qui Bat (The Beat of Life), a powerful multi-disciplinary work, to the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival August 7-11.

New York City Center is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival with a very special season, beginning with two free evenings of dance at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, hosted by The Public Theater, on September 16 and 17 (rain date, September 18). The Festival will continue at City Center from September 25 - October 5 with performances by 20 acclaimed dance companies and artists from around the world, including three new works from today's most exciting young choreographers, commissioned by New York City Center in celebration of the tenth anniversary.

HBO Films presents in association with SAF Films West MUHAMMAD ALI'S GREATEST FIGHT, starring Academy Award(R) winner Christopher Plummer ('Beginners'), Academy Award(R) nominee Frank Langella ('Frost/Nixon') and Benjamin Walker ('Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'); directed by Academy Award(R) nominee Stephen Frears ('The Queen') from a script by Shawn Slovo ('A World Apart'); and executive produced by Emmy(R) winner Frank Doelger (HBO's 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Gathering Storm'), Emmy(R) winner Tracey Scoffield (HBO's 'The Gathering Storm'), Jonathan Cameron and Stephen Frears.

Lincoln Center Festival, which runs from today, July 6 through 28, 2013 will unfold in six venues on and off the Lincoln Center campus. Music figures prominently in the 2013 Festival with international productions by an eclectic range of renowned composers, singers, musicians and directors. In addition to performances, a panel discussion on Lera Auerbach's opera, The Blind, is scheduled. A chronological listing follows.

Mint Theater (Jonathan Bank, Artistic Director) today announced a two week extension for for the American Premiere of A Picture of Autumn by N.C. Hunter, directed by Gus Kaikkonen. The Mint production will now run until July 27th at its home (311 West 43rd Street).

Hangar Theatre kicks off its 2013 season tonight, June 13th with Neil Simon's irresistible comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers, which runs through June 29.

The lush music, the period costumes, and Andrew Samonsky's performance kept me involved. There's some trimming to be done, and some rewriting, and maybe it will work for fans of the movie. But there could be so much more.

Lincoln Center Festival, which runs from July 6 through 28, 2013 will unfold in six venues on and off the Lincoln Center campus. Music figures prominently in the 2013 Festival with international productions by an eclectic range of renowned composers, singers, musicians and directors. In addition to performances, a panel discussion on Lera Auerbach's opera, The Blind, is scheduled. A chronological listing follows.

A long, long time ago, Stephen Hanks heard Don McLean's second studio album "American Pie" (which was released in late 1971 and hit number one on the Billboard album chart), and became a life-long fan. Now a cabaret show reviewer/columnist for BroadwayWorld.com and Cabaret Scenes Magazine, Stephen has decided to experience how the other half lives and will take the performing leap with his debut solo cabaret show, Beyond American Pie: The Don McLean Songbook. On May 31, Hanks brought his debut show to the Metropolitan Room and you can check out photo coverage below!

Hangar Theatre kicks off its 2013 season on June 13th with Neil Simon's irresistible comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers, which runs through June 29. Featuring a stellar cast including three Broadway favorites, this seminal work will be directed by Hangar Associate Artistic Director Jesse Bush. Last of the Red Hot Lovers had its original Broadway run from 1969-1971 and received four Tony nominations, including for Best Play. The Hangar production features the talents of Jordan Gelber (Broadway's Avenue Q, All My Sons, Elf) as Barney Cashman, Jennifer Cody (Shrek, Urinetown) as Elaine Navazio, Leenya Rideout (Company, War Horse, Cabaret) as Jeannette Fisher, and Natalie Walker as Bobbi Michele.

Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com), the nation's only broadcast television network for African Americans, today announced its first-ever slate of upfront programming plans, including original new scripted and non-scripted series, series renewals, the return to broadcast television of one of the most-popular game shows in history, an exclusive new college sports rights deal and more theatrical motion pictures for its impressive library.

Mint Theater (Jonathan Bank, Artistic Director) today announced the cast for the American Premiere of A Picture of Autumn by N.C. Hunter, directed by Gus Kaikkonen. The Mint production will run from May 23rd until July 14th at its home (311 West 43rd Street). Opening Night is set for Monday, June 10 th.

It's April 1st. Do you know when your Spring is coming? During another longggggg New York winter, the good news is that there were a ton of warming cabaret shows. The bad news is that there were so many, even during this seemingly endless winter our intrepid reviewer Stephen Hanks didn't have enough time to review them all right after the performances. So in what is becoming a seasonal ritual, here he offers yet another compilation of 13 'catch-up' cabaret show reviews.

Japan Society Gallery explores the continuing generative power of Japanese popular culture in Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints (today, March 9-June 9, 2013), an exhibition juxtaposing contemporary works of art with nearly 100 historic ukiyo-e woodblock prints drawn from one of the world's great collections of 'pictures of the floating world' at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA).

Bringing together an outstanding, large cast with a world-class artistic team, Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd directs Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men. This epic production brings this captivating military courtroom drama to life. A Few Good Men runs tonight, March 1 through March 24, 2013, on the Hubbard Stage.

Bringing together an outstanding, large cast with a world-class artistic team, Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd directs Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men. This epic production brings this captivating military courtroom drama to life. A Few Good Men runs March 1 through March 24, 2013, on the Hubbard Stage.

Japan Society Gallery explores the continuing generative power of Japanese popular culture in Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints (March 9-June 9, 2013), an exhibition juxtaposing contemporary works of art with nearly 100 historic ukiyo-e woodblock prints drawn from one of the world's great collections of 'pictures of the floating world' at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA).

New York City Opera opens its spring 2013 season with a new production of Powder Her Face (1995), composed by Thomas Ades (b.1971) to a libretto by Philip Hensher (b. 1965).

Unearthed after more than 40 years and unheard since their original airing, the recordings of Village Voice 'Scenes' columnist and radio personality Howard Smith are now available for the first time. Containing over 100 interviews, The Smith Tapes will be released in monthly installments on digital retailers iTunes and Amazon. Following Collection 1-Fillmore East, Collection 2 Aquarian Theatre and Collection 3-Everything's Not Okay comes Collection 4-Woodstock. This new offering features interviews with Ravi Shankar, Joe Cocker, Woodstock producers John Roberts and Joel Rosenman, Sly Stone, John Lennon and Yoko Ono from their Bed-In, live Reports from the Woodstock festival and commentary on the Woodstock film. Please see full track listing and details below.

Unearthed after more than 40 years and unheard since their original airing, the recordings of Village Voice 'Scenes' columnist and radio personality Howard Smith are now available for the first time. Containing over 100 interviews, The Smith Tapes will be released in monthly installments on digital retailers iTunes and Amazon. Following Collection 1-Fillmore East, Collection 2 Aquarian Theatre and Collection 3-Everything's Not Okay comes Collection 4-Woodstock. This new offering features interviews with Ravi Shankar, Joe Cocker, Woodstock producers John Roberts and Joel Rosenman, Sly Stone, John Lennon and Yoko Ono from their Bed-In, live Reports from the Woodstock festival and commentary on the Woodstock film. Please see full track listing and details below.

New York City Opera opens its spring 2013 season with a new production of Powder Her Face (1995), composed by Thomas Adès (b.1971) to a libretto by Philip Hensher (b. 1965).