brief encounter

must screen to broadway adaptation: brief encounter. a classic from the silver screen and directed by david lean. the transfer to stage was inventive and fluid from the movements of the actors to the shifting of the minimal set design. unrequited love. sigh! go see it if you want a nice step back in time and a romance that transcends 50 years. note to self: rent brief encounter.

as you like it

noteworthy shakespeare commitment: as you like it, part of bam's bridge project. at the center of the fair production is juliet rylance in the role of rosalind. she really won the play for me, from her physical comedy to her romantic hysterics. also shar was glad to see thomas sadoski as touchstone. i had previously seen him in neil lebute's reasons to be pretty. i was pleasantly impressed that he could transition to the bard. lastly, the role of jacques was played by one stephen dillane, who i hadn't seen since playing mr. virginia wolfe in the hours.

i really like the simple, modern set design. lighting was also a treat with a swinging lantern emphasizing a wrestling match to the romantic rice paper lanterns that illuminate the final scene. be forewarned the play is 3 hours. i survived and i will have to commend mr. kate winslet - sam mendes. i don't think i really got through the hbo version directed by kenneth branagh. point to sam.

great cate

must live oscar winner performance: cate blanchett in a street car named desire at bam. shar got these tickets months ago and sure glad she did. the run at bam harvey goes until december 20, but tickets to the general public are sold out. it pays to get tickets early. angela and i got the last pair of cushion seat which are literally padded mats with backs on the stage. it's the closest you can get to great cate.

she was luminous. you know way back when they used to compare complexions to alabaster? well i'd like to resurface this description for cate. she is the fairest of them all. her portrayal of the famed blanche dubois was perfect pitched. it can be easy to overdo the already emotionally meaty role of the whithering southern belle, but leave it to a true chameleon of an actress to balance narcissism and vulnerability. joel edgerton also does a good job matching cate's blanche with his beefy performance as stanley kowalski. the performance was well deserving of the four ovations it received tonight.

bam next wave festival

must fest attendance: bam's next wave festival. shar's a little ashamed that having lived in brooklyn for almost 2 years i have yet to attend the next wave festival. i'm determined to go this year and there is a ton of good stuff. at the top of my list is in juliette binoche's venture into dance, in-i.



shar is intrigued by the long count, a pairing of the brothers dessner of the national and matthew ritchie. the piece combines visual and instrumental art into one. shara from my brightest diamond and the sisters deal of the breeders will be lending their vocals too. sounds like some indie rock heaven to me.

lastly, there's the dame of all dames, cate blanchett, in a streetcar named desire. this isn't part of the next wave festival, but a must at bam. who's down to get their culture on in bk?

reasons to be pretty

must catch before it closes broadway show: reasons to be pretty. i have been meaning to catch this since it opened and with the recent news that it's closing this week i was on this pronto. angela scored us student rush tickets and we were there. thanks angela! neil lebute writes enthralling, yet biting dialogue that cuts to the core. also, i love mr. lebute for introducing me to aaron eckhart via in the company of men. he has always been able to capture the everyday man's vernacular to a tee and in this play a remark about a face being "regular" sets off a windfall of expletives. it's quite the commentary on physical beauty. it made me think of what i think of beauty. plain to me is beautiful. t-shirts and jeans. okay a dress here and there, but on the whole i love to be casually comfy. i identified with steph (girl with the regular face), but i didn't like how she prettied it up in the end. love being comfortable in your skin. that's true beauty, right?