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Out of This World (J.P. Case Middle School, Flemington, NJ, May 29, 2012)

Posted in Dance, Flemington, NJ, J.P. Case Middle School, Out of This World, T. on May 20, 2012| 4 Comments »

[ATTENDED May 19, 2012] Out of This World

My four-year old daughter T. was in her first recital last night.  Of all of the shows that our family has attended over the last few months, none has been as full of emotional highs and lows, laughter, shock and cuteness as this one.

None.

Not bad for two minutes of a song called “Disco Galaxy.”

I have no intention of critiquing any performances on the stage tonight.  Every girl and boy tried his or her best and they all did better than I could do.  However, since this is my first amateur performance that I’ve seen as an adult, I want to make some general observations about on-stage performance.

TV shows and movies about performance always talk about basic rules for being on stage: SMILE SMILE SMILE!  Smiling on stage and exaggerating your movements and crazy makeup are all essential.  It actually gets a bit tedious (as I’m sure it does for the performers).

So based on TV and my recent live experiences I’ve taken some notes: (more…)

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MOMIX Remix (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, April 20, 2012)

Posted in Acrobats, Dance, Dead Can Dance, Momix, Moses Pendelton, New Brunswick, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, State Theatre on April 29, 2012| 2 Comments »

[ATTENDED: April 20, 2012] MOMIX Remix

One of Sarah’s surprises for her birthday was that after an evening of fine dining at The Frog and the Peach, I had gotten us tickets to Momix.  This was a total surprise because neither one of us had ever heard of Momix.  I wanted to so something fun for us, and this show was being performed on her birthday weekend.  The write-up at the State Theatre made Momix seem weird, interesting and very cool.  So, even though we’d never heard of them, it seemed worth the risk.

A rose waited for us at our seats (A date night package for us).  The curtain went up and the music started and we were blown away from that moment on.

We decided the best description of Momix is as kind of dancey version of the Peking Acrobats (they do show up a lot in my posts).  I’ve never really seen modern dance on any grand scale, so I hesitate to call this modern dance, but what else can it be?  The music (none of it original) was primarily world/ambient (Dead Can Dance was a band I recognized).   And the men and women of the troupe performed nontraditional dances to it.

Okay, but what’s this about acrobats?

Well, the dances were more about showcasing the body–in its beauty, in its strength and in its grace.  And it was amazing to watch. Our favorite piece, called “Tuu,” featured a man and a woman.  She began the dance wrapped around his neck (by her knee?!) and proceeded to uncurl herself into amazing positions, all while he himself balanced and did wonderfully graceful moves.  And here’s the difference between a dancer and an acrobats–these dancers never wavered, never wiggled, never seemed for a second that they were uncomfortable–they were beyond graceful.  So at one point when he did a hand stand and she id a handstand on his back, it was fluid and amazing.  I mean, look at that picture. (more…)

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David Sedaris (RVCC Arts, Branchburg, NJ, April 11, 2012)

Posted in Animals, Audiobooks, Branchburg, NJ, Corporate skewering, Culture Shock, David Sedaris, Essays, Gordon Grice, Monkeys, New Yorker, NPR/PRI/PBS, Prospect, RVCC Arts, Set in New Jersey!, Yuck! on April 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 11, 2012] David Sedaris

I have enjoyed David Sedaris for a number of years now.  When our friend Melissa went to see him a few years ago, she said he was hilarious.  I’ve heard several readings done by him and had to agree with her–he’s very funny live.

I find that he’s much funnier when I hear him read his stuff than when I read it myself.  Indeed, when I read his stories I try to imagine it in his voice, just so it will be funnier.  Turns out he does a much better David Sedaris than I do.  Each of the stories was very funny (tear-inducingly funny) and very typically Sedaris.

This show was him on stage reading from a number of his pieces and from his diary.  I didn’t know the first piece, called “Understanding Owls,” which was about Owls and taxidermy.  It was also about trying to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for his boyfriend of 20 years (wow!), Hugh.  He wanted to buy a stuffed owl because of a long running joke about all of the owl tchotchkes in their house.  The setup alone was hilarious and the sequence in the taxidermist was very funny and rather uncomfortable. (more…)

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Gizmo Guys (RVCC Arts, Branchburg, NJ, April 1, 2012)

Posted in Big Apple Circus, Branchburg, NJ, Comedians, Funny (ha ha), Peking Acrobats, RVCC Arts, Set in New Jersey!, The Gizmo Guys on April 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 1, 2012] The Gizmo Guys

Our friends were going to see the Gizmo Guys, so we bought (surprisingly cheap) tickets and went to the same show as them.  I was under the impression that the Gizmo Guys were kind of science-tellers–doing “magic” with sciencey things.  Well, that was utterly wrong.

The Gizmo Guys are jugglers.  That’s it.  Well, they are comedians AND jugglers and they are very funny and very talented.    But there’s no science and, I have to say, very few gizmos.

The show opened with some jokes.  But these were jokes from the kids in the audience.  And our brave friend’s 7 year-old went on stage and told a joke! (while Clark cowered so he wouldn’t be chosen).  The joke section was cute and served as a nice warmup. (more…)

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James Joyce–Finnegans Wake (1939)

Posted in Big Books, Christy Moore, David Foster Wallace, Drinking, Dropkick Murphys, Dublin, Ireland, Irish Writer, James Joyce, Roberto Bolaño, The Dubliners, Thomas Pynchon, Word usage on April 1, 2012| 2 Comments »

SOUNDTRACK: DROPKICK MURPHYS-“Finnegan’s Wake” (2005).

This song has been around forever and there are dozens of different versions of it.  For your more traditional versions, you want The Dubliners of Christy Moore (if you really want to hear the words).

But The Dropkick Murphys do it the way I like my traditional Irish songs–fast and loud and full of punk.

Although to be honest, The Dubliners’ version has a bit more swagger and fun (it’s hard to beat Ronnie Drew for a hard living singing voice).

Whichever version you choose, be sure to have your favorite ale or lager (or whiskey punch) on hand.

[READ: April 1, 2012] Finnegans Wake

I decided it was time.  How many times have I read the opening line of this book:

riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.

And as many times I have read the end of the book:

A way a lone a last a loved a long the

But now it was time to read the other 620-some pages of it.  So I set aside some time this weekend, and, in the spirit of Joyce’s stream of consciousness, I stayed awake until I finished it. And having digested the book, I now get to write all my thoughts about it.

(more…)

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Big Apple Circus: Dream Big (TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater, NJ, March 15, 2012)

Posted in Acrobats, Animals, Big Apple Circus, Bridgewater, NJ, Circus, Illusion, Magic, Peking Acrobats, Set in New Jersey!, TD Bank Ballpark on March 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 15, 2012] The Big Apple Circus

When I was a kid, we went to the Ringling Bros. Circus a few times. (I still have the program).  I had never been to the Big Apple Circus.  When we saw that it was in Bridgewater a few years ago we went (Tabitha was a baby and fell asleep after the intermission).  The year after that, the kids both enjoyed the show.  We missed last year due to a scheduling conflict.

When we heard that this was going to be grandma’s last year of the show, we decided we had to go.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Big Apple Circus, the one constant every year is “Grandma:” an old clown lady who meanders into the ring, causes mischief and is generally very funny.  Grandma, played by Barry Lubin, is leaving the show because “Mr. Lubin will spirit Grandma away to Sweden, where he moved last January to live with his partner, Ann Hageus” (NY Times).

I assumed there would be a huge send off to Grandma, but it was a surprisingly low-key show for her.  She had some great bits and was very entertaining (as always) but there was no major farewell.  Oh well.

The big surprise for our show was that Dr Oz was the surprise host.  And he handed out really stinky paper rulers (I can’t get over how badly they smelled) so that we could all measure our waists to see if we were fat or not.  Okay, first of all most of us don’t need to measure to see if we’re fat.  Second, this is a circus–not a single foodstuff out there is good for you.  Was I really going to measure my waist while holding my kids’ cotton candy.  No, I was just going to feel like a fat schlub.  Yaay!  Fun for the whole family.

My biggest victory of the night was when Dr Oz came into the crowd and his publicist asked if I (we) wanted to meet him and I was able to curtly say “No” and watch her look of surprise.  I have better things to do than to meet a TV doctor, thank you very much.

Like watch a circus. (more…)

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The Peking Acrobats (RVCC Arts, Branchburg NJ, February 24, 2012)

Posted in Acrobats, Branchburg, NJ, Peking Acrobats, RVCC Arts, Set in New Jersey! on March 18, 2012| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 24, 2012] The Peking Acrobats

Raritan Valley Community College continues to impress me with their wonderful selection of performances.  And this was another amazing one.  It had me literally slack jawed.

The Peking Acrobats (let’s start simple) are acrobats from Peking, China.

As the show opened, there were ropes hanging from the ceiling (not secured to the ground).  And then several men came out and climbed the ropes.  Which would be no big deal, except that they climbed them like monkeys do–or more literally as if they were walking up the rope while holding on to the rope like a grappling hook line.  From there they proceeded to leap back and forth between the ropes, winding themselves up and then rapidly spinning down until they almost hit the floor.  Nothing I write will convey how amazing it was to watch.

And the best part about it was that that was, when all was said and done, perhaps the least interesting part of the show. (more…)

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Dan Zanes (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, February 20, 2012)

Posted in Aimee Mann, Dan Zanes, Dar Williams, John Doe, Lou Reed, New Brunswick, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, State Theatre on March 11, 2012| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: February, 20, 2012] Dan Zanes at State Theatre

President’s Day was Family Day in New Brunswick.  And despite the bitter cold, we had a nice time walking around, seeing the Philadelphia Zoo exhibit and, most of all, seeing Dan Zanes.

We have loved Dan Zanes since we were first introduced to him (like everyone else–as soon as we had kids).  I knew that Zanes was in the Del Fuegos, although (even though I lived in Boston for many years) I’d never heard them.  I have since listened to them but found them to be lacking, especially compared to Dan Zanes’ solo stuff.

So Dan Zanes has been releasing children’s albums for a number of years, now.  He has access to some pretty high-profile guests (his album Night Time features Aimee Mann, John Doe, Lou Reed and Dar Williams).  But even without the high-profile guests, the records are fun, warm and very inviting. (more…)

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Harlem Globetrotters (Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, February 18, 2012)

Posted in Basketball, Harlem Globetrotters, Newark, NJ, Prudential Center, Set in New Jersey! on March 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 18, 2012] Harlem Globetrotters

When I was a kid, The Harlem Globetrotters were the coolest thing ever.  I played basketball in grammar school, but I was pretty bad (short with no vertical leap), so seeing guys who were amazing ans also silly at basketball was wonderful to me.  I whistled “Sweet Georgia Brown” a million times.  I showed off my amazing “trick” shots at friends’ houses and during gym.  I tried to bounce basketballs off of everything.  Of course, I never did learn a lay up, but that’s beside the point.

And the Globetrotter commercials were on TV seemingly all the time.  Like this one:

How cool, to slide across the floor, roll a ball down your back and make crazy baskets.

Of course, I think I remember the Globetrotters more from this show, which featured the voices of the all-time greats: George “Meadowlark” Lemon, Freddie “Curly” Neal, Hubert “Geese” Ausbie, J.C. “Gip” Gipson, Bobby Joe Mason, and Pablo Robertson (okay, these last three I don’t remember).

Twenty-two episodes were made in all, and I’m pretty sure I saw all of them (the old lady and the dog never made much sense but that’s okay too).

Suffice it to say, the Globetrotters left an indelible stamp on my world.  But I never saw them live.  So, imagine my delight when a few weeks ago, I won a contest for four free tickets to see the Globetrotters!  I was pretty psyched. (more…)

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Richard Thompson (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, February 17, 2012)

Posted in Concert, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Richard Thompson, Set in New Jersey! on February 28, 2012| 2 Comments »

[ATTENDED: February 17, 2012] Richard Thompson at the McCarter Theater

I have seen Richard Thompson live many times.  By my last count I think it must be five or six.  I’ve seen him solo and with others, I’ve seen him at Festivals and small venues.  And he never disappoints. RT makes an annual (or nearly annual) pilgrimage to Princeton’s McCarter Theater and the crowd is devout.  The last time Sarah and I saw him was on his 1,000 Years of Popular Music tour (a wonderful extravaganza) with olde instruments and two backing players.  But every show is different and you never know which incarnation  you never know which RT you’re going to get.

This tour was just RT and his guitar and our show proved to be a (mostly) request show.  Whether it was meant to be a request show is unclear (he just did three all request nights in NYC).  For tonight’s show, he definitely had songs in mind but the crowd politely asked for other songs and he accommodated (he doesn’t always).

Sarah and I laughed at the demographic of the audience (a lot of gray-haired ponytails here, Sarah noted–and that was just the men).  And yet next to us were a group of young rocker kids, so we were neither oldest, younger, coolest or squarest.  But none of that mattered because RT bridges all groups.  It was just he and his acoustic guitar, and he played slow ballads, serious rockers, funny songs and a few classics.

I didn’t know the first couple of songs (which surprised me) but it’s possible they were brand new, because why would he start what proved to be a greatest hits set with a bunch of obscure songs?  Well, he’s a conundrum.  Maybe anyone who was there can fill me in on the setlist.

After the first song the requests came.  RT explained that he had hoped to do some songs that he wanted to play and he hoped that those songs would be ones that we wanted to hear.  So obliging!  When the crowd convinced him to play Britney Spears’ “Oops I did it Again” (a song he played in his 1000 Years retrospective) we knew it was going to be a great show.

And it was.  (more…)

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