Judgment Night / “A Cliché Coming True!”

An Evening With Rodgers and Hammerstein – The subject of tonight’s ramblings

(Press ‘Disc 2’ on your remote. May 31, 2008 Pt. II will start to play, opening with an oozing psychedelic pop number from Dandelion Gum, the album that occupied my iPod while I waited. This is good sitting-in-line/people-watching music. 1. “They Live in the Meadow” – Black Moth Super Rainbow)

Emerging from the hubbub of the metro stop on 65th St, I found myself a little turned around in the increasingly cloudy afternoon sun. Apparently, Lincoln Center is undergoing renovations, making the place somewhat difficult to navigate for a new-comer. Yet, with a bit of effort I stumbled upon The Vivian Beaumont Theater and had myself a looksie. Perhaps the toughest challenge of the trip thus far lay ahead of me. The show we had picked to see that Saturday evening was none other than the still sold-out Broadway revival of SOUTH PACIFIC starring Kelli O’Hara as the ingénue, Nellie, and Paulo Szot as the baritone Frenchman, Emile de Becque. This Lincoln Center production is the first Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, almost sixty years after the opening of the original, and it has rightfully received rave reviews from every single one of the theater critic highbrows. Of course, all the acclaim, hype, and popularity meant it was, and still is, the hottest ticket on Broadway. Now a few hours from curtain, the fate of our night rested on my shoulders. As I pushed through the glass doors and into the entrance hall of the Beaumont, I was all too aware of how I had to somehow acquire tickets to a show that frankly was not selling anymore tickets (I know someone who has a ticket. She does. She has a 2. “Ticket to Ride” – The Beatles).

Thanks once again to David, I had an ace up my theatergoing sleeve. No, not the student rush tickets. The irritable bearded man behind the box-office glass rudely and emphatically repeated to me that no discount tickets of any kind were being sold to anyone (“I don’t care what kind of research you’re doing. Blah blah blah.”). Of course, the be-suited gentleman was naturally just doing his job, having been asked the same questions all day from the perpetually longest line I’ve ever seen at a box-office window. And wow, whereas Thurgood had quite a diverse audience, the crowd at Lincoln Center was quite the opposite. Still, I had my ace. Actually, I had two aces, both of which were strategically employed that night thanks to the wise predictions of The Weather Channel (What is he talking about? 3. “Red Rain” – The White Stripes).

Allow me to clarify. David had let me in on another little secret about Broadway shows: the cancellation line. We hadn’t planned ahead, so using personal vending websites like Craigslist and Ebay for sold-out tickets were out of the question. And as I’ve mentioned before, one can neither rely on bummed tickets nor expect someone to actually be bumming tickets. Thus, David explained that the cancellation line would be the only way to get legitimate good seats that night. You see, if for some reason somebody with a ticket can’t make it to that evening’s performance, they forfeit their ticket to the box office, who sells it to the first person in the cancellation line. This was my first ace. My second ace was the rain that was supposed to come in full force that night (Ah, now The Weather Channel reference and subsequent song choice make sense). The logic behind trying for cancellation tickets that night was based on the assumption that the theatergoers would be more inclined to cancel their evening plans if it were storming. So, as I sat in line, plugged into my headphones, I was like a mute farmer in a draught – silently praying for rain. Actually, I should emphasize silently because the Chatty Cathies waiting with me were frequently interrupting my Black Moth Super Rainbow fest. Yeah, I’m Mr. Social over here. (This next track kind of speaks for itself. Plus, it’s long, and I waited awhile. 4. “Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings” – Sunset Rubdown)

Being fourth in line, I only had to wait a couple of hours before the same bearded man walked out and demanded that I follow him. Mission accomplished, I had purchased two full priced tickets to see South Pacific. Excitement hit me for a number of reasons. For one, before seeing this particular show, my only other encounter with the musical was watching an old VHS version of the 1958 movie when I was ten or something. For another, there was so much hype around this production of South Pacific that I simply had to see what all the fuss was about. And finally, David and I had elected to write a review on this revival for Theater Journal. While one might infer that our academic interest in the musical would elicit a longer post, I can only say that this won’t be completely true. Obviously, the more ambitious and focused musings will be featured in our review, but I will do my best to include a well-rounded assessment of the show. (So, basically this post won’t be a complete waste of your time. 5. “Wasted Time” – Kings of Leon)

South Pacific is a pristine production that effectively honors the traditional aspects of the original musical. Indeed, everything has been staged and designed to service the music and the narrative. There are no distracting directorial decisions that beg for uniqueness or novelty, instead everything is completely focused and magnificently refined, making for a true to Rodgers and Hammerstein show. The context of the performance is thus one that successfully adheres to the best of way telling the story with the intentions of it creators clearly in mind (A gorgeously ethereal song about everything fitting for a gorgeous show where everything fits. 6. “Everything in its Right Place” – Radiohead). Thankfully, Tony award winning director, Bartlett Sher, has an extensive knowledge concerning the show’s history, its strengths, and its otherworldly beauty. Accordingly, the production is serious in its execution and harmonious in its nature with all of its quaint and heavy elements working towards something fantastic.

Yes, this 2008 revival of South Pacific is most certainly aware of its roots. In fact, the very first thing the audience sees is the opening paragraph from James A. Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific, on which the musical is based. Projected onto the curtain, “I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific… But whenever I start to talk about the South Pacific, people intervene,” sets the stage for a historically conscious show (Here’s a wonderfully terrestrial track about words. 7. “Did You See the Words” – Animal Collective). Costumes and set never seem out of place with every thoughtful detail comfortably relevant to its time. Moreover, in conjunction with the lighting, the aesthetic of the Lincoln Center stage throughout the show is truly awesome. It’s no wonder that South Pacific won the Tonys for scenic, costume and lighting design. The island of Bali Ha’i backdrop recalls the mysterious water Jo Mielziner’s painting for the original Broadway show. The bamboo walls that let through lines of light prove to be a wonderful way of conveying the South Pacific, an innovative tool for organizing the space, and a creative touch for playing with light design. The map in the control room, the rotating truck stage, the showers, the impeccable transitions from scene to scene, and the minimalism behind Lt. Cable’s (Matt Morrison) and Liat’s (Li Jun Li) moment of love – all of the tech in the staging make for a fantastic and otherwordly theater experience. The best part is that these wonderful aspects of the production hardly overshadow the most important parts of the show – the music, characters, and story.

South Pacific definitely deserves the praise it has gotten. There are many reasons why it won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critic’s Circle Award for best revival of a musical. I also understand that in the canon of the theater, South Pacific is considered to be one of the greats. However, my stance towards this work is one of distant appreciation. In other words, I can respect the show’s innovativeness in subject matter, its brilliance in writing, and its beauty of song and orchestration, but I don’t necessarily like it (Much respect to this band. 8. “Well Respected Man” – The Kinks). I acknowledge it as a superb musical, yet I wouldn’t choose to watch it over say My Fair Lady. I find that South Pacific recycles its songs and musical themes a bit too much. Yes, I’m aware of how each re-contextualization elicits new meaning, but hearing a song repeatedly can be tiresome. I don’t care if I walk away singing it, as is the goal for such a musical; a number like “Some Enchanted Evening” is so memorable that one doesn’t need to hear it five times. I am also not a fan of the political baggage the show carries. This is merely a preferential complaint without much supporting evidence. The racial commentary, while pioneering for its time, is distracting for me, as are the questions the show raises over war and nationalism. South Pacific’s efforts in social awareness are appreciated, and the musical does address these issues in nuanced ways, but musicals are not known for subtlety or delicacy. The message can be heavy handed. However, we live in an America of racially mixed families and communities. A black man running for president. Moreover, we are a nation at war. The relevance is undeniable.

The reprisal of “Honey Bun” is the most politically effective number in South Pacific. The song also proves that the re-contextualization of a song can be starkly effective. When one of the sailors explains, “Look, we know who we’re fighting against. We just don’t know what we’re fighting for,” a sharp comparison is immediately drawn to our present day war overseas. (“But this place here is no friend of mine.” 9. “Soldier’s Grin” – Wolf Parade) The exploration of the soldier’s attitude becomes all the more powerful, when towards the end of the show, instead of a philosophical number pondering the soldier’s role in the war, the company strikes up “Honey Bun” in unison without accompaniment for a few bars. This previously quiche and silly entertaining number becomes a vessel for displaying the longing loneliness of the men away from home. It also reveals that these soldiers aren’t fighting for any nation or ideal, it’s for the place they’ve left, for the love they can’t get, and for their baby girl that awaits their return; thus, the sailors have answered the question personally, but more importantly what is the country fighting for. This is left decidedly unaddressed.

All of this being said, what really matters is that the songbook and orchestral arrangements are, in so many ways, spectacular and moving. As David pointed out, this revival has clearly made a conscious effort to showcase the music as one of the most important parts of the production. He explained how innovative and unprecedented it was to have the thrust stage open up completely to reveal the orchestra throughout the entire ovation. Shining the spotlight on the musicians meant that not only the songs, but the accompaniment would play an essential role in the presentation of the story. In David’s words, “The drama of the musical becomes the music itself.” And it sounded superb. The music is excellently composed and the execution was perfect. Did I mention it won the Tony for sound design as well? Furthermore, with the added bonus of this tremendous cast, which can, in every sense of the word, sing, the musical beauty becomes transcendental. (I wish I could. 10. “Sing! Captain” – Handsome Furs) Paulo Szot’s performance was especially incredible. Stolen from the world of opera, his deep baritone and powerful voice, which mimicked the emotional machismo of Emile de Becque, stole the show with “This Nearly Was Mine.”

I am a little miffed about the hype surrounding Kelli O’Hara. David had previously seen the show without her, but, he said that seeing it with Ms. O’Hara made all the difference in the world. She’s great, no doubt about that, but she never really steals the show or completely takes over the stage. Her voice has incredible range and a beautiful timbre, plus her energy is off-the-walls crazy. However, her ability to act is less impressive. The naivety of her character and the girlish emotion the role calls for were simply unconvincing. Maybe my cynicism towards Ms. O’Hara should be more appropriately directed at the role itself. Perhaps there isn’t a place for Nellie’s innocence like there was in the post-war era of the late 40s, but I was constantly looking for the character’s depth. Her culturally conditioned racism is hardly enough to provide another facet to the role, and her love angst seems to lack, not gravitas, but maturity. A careful vulnerability is indeed difficult to pull off. Ms. O’Hara might be more of a spunky singer than a gifted actor. In fact, she actually does her best acting when she’s singing. Perhaps her paramount number, my favorite song in the show, “A Wonderful Guy,” successfully channels Nellie’s paradoxically aware naivety (“Oh, You’re so naïve, you’re so…” 11. “Naïve” – The Kooks). It speaks to musicals of all kinds in its complete and voluntary surrender to the corny yet wonderful. However, it was the unhinged joy that Ms. O’Hara brought to the stage when she sang, “I’m as trite and gay / As a daisy in May / I’m a cliché coming true!” that is so utterly moving. Those words speak a universal truth so intelligently conscious about its own ridiculous indulgence in true love that the subsequent rawness of the confession, “I’m in love!” hits home as much as any power number in any musical. It’s frank in its song-and-dance embrace of its own beautiful cliché. Instead of grief or angst, the audience is given a warm unfettered happiness, the hardest emotion to share. On the other hand, her childlike approach to other issues like race and war is somewhat less appreciated. Certainly Kelli O’Hara’s performance is wonderful to watch, but… Look, the show was amazing, incredible, fantastic… it just wasn’t perfect.

South Pacific comes highly recommended. It’s a classic and it’s classically executed. Afterwards, you’ll be affectionately singing or humming the tunes with a contemplative smile. (Here’s one I’m still singing, and I’m a straight guy. 12. “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” – Ella Fitzgerald)


The rain having subsided, David and I walked down to the 40s and grabbed a pretzel whilst we discussed the show. Saturday had been quite a full first day in The Big Apple. I was glad for it to be over, but I looked forward to waking up and exploring. Stay tuned for tales from Sunday.

1. “They Live in the Meadow” – Black Moth Super Rainbow
2. “Ticket to Ride” – The Beatles
3. “Red Rain” – The White Stripes
4. “Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings” – Sunset Rubdown
5. “Wasted Time” – Kings of Leon
6. “Everything in its Right Place” – Radiohead
7. “Did You See the Words” – Animal Collective
8. “Well Respected Man” – The Kinks
9. “Soldier’s Grin” – Wolf Parade
10. “Sing! Captain” – Handsome Furs
11. “Naïve” – The Kooks
12. “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” – Ella Fitzgerald

JUDGEment Day or No Longer Just Morpheus

(I didn’t crawl out of bed in the magnificently grand manner that this preeminent indie-rock-ballad might suggest, but my first full day in Manhattan began regardless. Insert May 31, 2008 Pt. I. 1. “Wake Up” – The Arcade Fire).

Hastily throwing on a dress shirt and some chords, I walked out of my rather, uh, cozy hotel room at the Paramount ready to face a waning morning drizzle. Objective: get tickets for a Broadway matinee. There are a number of options when it comes to acquiring a pair of prime seats for a play on the Great White Way: you can order them online through Telecharge or similar and pay a convenience charge, you can call the box-office directly and pay full price, you can stand in a ridiculously long line for discount tickets at the TKTS ticket booth where you can’t choose your seat, you can hope to god or whomever that some guy is bumming tickets outside the theater before the show not knowing how legitimate the tickets are, you can get discounts by subscribing to online sites like Theatermania or Playbill… OR you can be like me. (Feeling like a hustler, here’s some love from Queens. It’s definitely appropriate. 2. “N.Y. State of Mind” – Nas).

Setting aside some unmerited arrogance, I will disclose that I had to learn this secret like everyone else – someone told me (my professor, obviously). Lucky for you, I’m willing to share the key to my ticket-procuring success. I present you with a not-so-funny, not-so-cryptic “Wheal of Fortune” puzzle: ST_D_NT T_CK_TS. Okay, now all you have left on the board are vowels, so you can’t spin the wheal again, even though it looks like oh-so much fun. Would you like to solve the puzzle, dufus? Congratulations! You’re moving on to the final round where you’ll get to play for a chance to win this beautiful 1980s Buick! In addition to the pocket change you’ve already garnered! Most of which you’ll lose to the government in taxes! Right after these ten thousand commercials! (That was weird. I don’t even like “Wheal of Fortune.” 3. “The Winner Is” – Devotchka).

A Saturday Matinee – The focus of this particular SURF post

Anyway, I was able to go to the box-office at the Booth Theater on 44th and get two, twenty-five dollar student tickets. Yep, just twenty-five dollars for, and here’s the kicker, front row seats. Only a few people are aware of the student rush. Quality house seats are given to students with an ID at a tremendous discount as soon as the box-office opens, which is usually at 10 AM. Well, as they say, now you know.

The show started at two and I hadn’t had breakfast. Feeling a strong sense of independence coupled with a keen awareness of how alone I was, I ventured to another hidden gem of Mid-town. My professor had made me previously aware of this secret as well, but I was eager to try it out. The Café Edison is this little diner tucked into the side of The Hotel Edison. I know New York is famous for its diners, but finding an authentic one right on Times Square that’s not filled with a ton of tourists is hard. Plus, it has a cheap menu with some incredible breakfast food – two determining factors in my frequent visits. After a pair of poached eggs on hash, some toast with jam and butter, a couple cups of coffee, a glass of O.J. (Breakfast music. 4. “Orange Juice” – Grand Archives), and only ten bucks spent, I went back to the hotel to grab my camera.

Having fueled up with a Green Tea Frappuccino and having had a quick pre-show chat with David, I snapped a few shots of the crowd outside of THURGOOD. The audience for this limited-engagement production was quite diverse. It is evident, and not with just this show, that Broadway is certainly not rampant with the yuppies – the audience that it is often accused of attracting exclusively. Thurgood, a one man, one act play starring Lawrence Fishburne is a new biographical piece about the late, great Judge Thurgood Marshall. It follows that a show featuring a famous black actor about a historically prominent black man would attract a, well, black audience (Can you guess which word the title of the next song will have in it? 5. “Black Like Me” – Spoon). David’s studies often focus on the minority presence in the performing arts, bringing issues like race out of the margins in discussions about theater culture and theater audiences. While a historical play like Thurgood does align with his academic interests, the subject matter also sounds a bit tedious and it was, to be honest. However, his interests peaked upon noticing one particularly important audience member that afternoon: the illustrious Ruby Dee – renowned and respected as one of the most important female African American actors, writers, and activists ever to grace the public eye. While this shed light on how potentially significant Thurgood is to the black community, I, of course, was embarrassingly ignorant as to whom she is. (I’m a dumbass. 6. “Ignorant Shit” – Jay-Z).

After the curtain dropped on Fishburne’s performance, I was all at once blown away and intellectually overstuffed. In other words, Mr. Fishburne completely owned the role and convinced me whole-heartedly that he was no longer just Morpheus from The Matrix (I told you I was ignorant), but for an hour he truly was, to me, Thurgood Marshall. On the other hand, to use the words of my professor, it felt like Black History Month with all of that factual recounting. First things first though, Lawrence Fishburne was amazing. To talk for an hour is hard, heck, to read out loud for an hour is hard, but to become a completely different person – to act, to emote, to control the stage – for a whole ninety minutes without a break, that is an incredible accomplishment. The difficulty of that monumental task aside, Lawrence Fishburne successfully captures his character. He was able to make me believe that I was actually watching Thurgood Marshall tell his own story. It was such an engaging performance – full of emotion, humor, intensity and subtlety. Espousing and reciting an entire script effortlessly, it needs to be said that Lawrence Fishburne was, again, amazing. (If there was a song called ‘Stupendous Fucking Actor’ it would go here. 7. “Method Acting” – Bright Eyes).

In terms of the content of the play, Thurgood felt a bit too polished and a bit too concerned with the historical significance of this man’s life. I didn’t need a Broadway show to tell me what I could have found on Wikipedia. Granted, the way in which Mr. Marshall’s story is presented is rather absorbing, that is, if you appreciate a bedtime story about your grandfather’s younger years. I mean that in the best sense. Thurgood’s first-person narrative is not boring, or without flair. Indeed, the call for more complicated content is not an intentionally negative complaint of this review; rather, it is a lament for something further. There could have been a greater depth to the story. As David pointed out, there were some less-than-respectable aspects to the judge’s life, such as his notorious misogyny. The play often glossed over the not-so-remarkable and more human parts of both who Thurgood Marshall was and what he did. He was actually a controversial figure, but we never completely see that. Thus, we got a rather one-dimensional hero’s tale. Although, there was a memorable moment when Mr. Fishburne invokes in his character an imagined and touching regret over not knowing his own wife’s condition after she died. However, this too painted Thurgood Marshall with an optimist’s brush. (Every once in a blue moon, you’ll find an absolutely perfect track for a themed mix. 8. “Black History Month” – Death From Above 1979).

To sum things up, the show was a bit too tutorial, but it was a vehicle for a masterful performance. There were, however, some other noteworthy features. At the end of the play, the writing went a bit further with some present day political commentary. Perhaps an obvious attempt at relevance, predicting what Thurgood Marshall’s political reactions would be today proved to be an interesting end to the show (as opposed to what I feared – some melodramatic death on stage or something). The set, with the action taking place in the Howard University Law School Auditorium in Washington, D.C., only had a giant table, a couple of chairs and a lectern. The backdrop was a giant stone-like American flag onto which colors and images were projected, acting as both an intriguing variable to an intentionally one note show and as visual cues for Fishburne. Some recorded sounds also provided cues, but these too were welcomed additions to the story, often enhancing the performance. The Booth Theater, a more intimate space, was a good fit for a show of its size. Fishburne added to this intimacy by directly engaging the audience every now and again. For instance, when the late comers were seated, he used a meta “to the furnace” joke (the joke became overplayed later), which seemed improvised, but it worked on a couple levels. It was effective in forming an exclusive bond with the majority of the audience that had arrived at the start of the show, since the latecomers had no idea why people were laughing. The repeated joke also sounded exactly like something Mr. Marshall would presumably say. Fishburne reacted to accidental cell phone noise in a very nuanced way as well. Without doubt, the man can perform. (“That is the end of that.” 9. “Time Honored Tradition” – Kaiser Chiefs).

The thesis of Thurgood is that Mr. Marshall’s story is, at the very least, important and worth knowing. Indeed, the show convinced me of just that.

Of course this Saturday on Broadway is far from over. I grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed up to Lincoln Center to get some tickets for a show that you still can’t get advanced tickets for (no, not even student tickets). So, while you try to work out that paradox. I leave you with the last track for May 31, 2008 Pt. I. (10. “Is This It” – The Strokes)

Next time on The Audio Phile: Judgment Night / “A Cliché Coming True!”

1. “Wake Up” – The Arcade Fire
2. “N.Y. State of Mind” – Nas
3. “The Winner Is” – Devotchka
4. “Orange Juice” – Grand Archives
5. “Black Like Me” – Spoon
6. “Ignorant Shit” – Jay-Z
7. “Method Acting” – Bright Eyes
8. “Black History Month” – Death From Above 1979
9. “Time Honored Tradition” – Kaiser Chiefs
10. “Is This It” – The Strokes

Hello New York

(The packaging is inventive and artistic in nature. Fumbling through it you take the first disc and hastily insert the mysterious thing into your stereo. Having hit the ‘Play’ button and adjusting the volume knob, you sit back on your floor, close your eyes in peace and patiently wait for the first sounds from May 30, 2008. You hear the beginning pitter-patter of rain outside your window, and then a soothing voice permeates your room – suddenly you’re immersed in the dawn of the mix. 1. “White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes)

We embark on this musical voyage with an antiphrastically employed song title. That is, this was a summer trip and a “winter hymnal” might seem like a misplaced opener on a mix about such a trip. On the contrary, the steady guitar strumming, the language of a journey, and the reference to “strawberries in the summertime” all feel like the perfect backdrop for getting packed-up and heading into the car on a hot day in May. It would be appropriate on a soundtrack for that part in the family movie where the Volvo station wagon is pictured racing along the open road, suitcases piled high on its luggage rack. The point is this: “White Winter Hymnal” is beautiful in its revolving spaciousness. In other words, there are carnivorous drums, reverberating vocals, consistent tambourine taps, and a complimentary electric guitar riff, all of which cycle back on themselves in this gorgeous piece of repetition. And the wheels turn…

The First 2008 Broadway Musical for SURF – this will be the day’s climax

I don’t want to imply that my trip to New York was epic, but I want it to sound epic because that’s how it felt. All the work I had done to get the grant money and to construct the research project had lead up to my first day on the job. This was the culmination of a lot of effort, and only more work lay ahead of me. Scarier still was the fact that I didn’t know what was really in store for me. I had envisioned hours in the library, tapping away on my laptop, and reading mundane facts about Broadway history. I had expected to be furiously scribbling notes during each show we were going to, unable to enjoy myself. (In a sharp twist of musical styles, the music becomes stress hassled and anxious. 2. “Stress” – Justice)

But there was also an eager anticipation. This was exciting – going to Manhattan by myself, getting around on my own, learning the city, seeing Broadway performances every night, getting individually tutored by one of the premier professors in the academic field of the performing arts… I knew it was going to be a great experience, though logistical concerns can often cloud the more welcome meditative thoughts. (A return to sweeping gestures and vast soundscapes. 3. “Chromakey Dreamcoat” – Boards of Canada). As I sat on the twenty dollar Chinatown bus with post-rock occupying my headphones, the daunting task of having to navigate the NY subway system with a suitcase and two backpacks troubled me. I always over-pack, but I figured I had to have clothes for anything: dressy, casual, workout, rainy, cold, hot. The backpacks also held my laptop and the research I had done up to that point. Eh, anyway, I can get caught up in these menial concerns, like packing technique.

I tried to read my professor’s book, Performance in America: Contemporary U.S. Culture and the Performing Arts. This was informative and a good way to prepare for the task ahead, but the bus ride was a nervous one.

So, after arriving amidst the confused hubbub of Chinatown (Oh my God, he said something about China, that means: 4. “Chinese Translation” – M. Ward), successfully negotiating a couple subway lines, finding my hotel, an hour or two of credit card issues, a handful of frantic phone calls, and a whole lot of sweat – after all of that, I am finally settled in, ready to meet up with David for the first time in New York at the Dean and Deluca across the street from the Richard Rodgers Theater where IN THE HEIGHTS was and still is showing.

In the Heights is the brainchild of Lin-Manuel Miranda. He composed the music, wrote the lyrics, created the show, and he stars as the lead character Usnavi (the character’s name is actually an immigration themed pun explained in the show). Mr. Miranda, who accepted the Tony for best musical (his rap-speech was incredible), started his journey with In the Heights as a Puerto Rican-American growing up in the Latino (Here we go with the damn themed music. I mean, it’s good, but a little heavy handed? 5. “Oye Como Va” – Tito Puente feat. Santana) community of Washington Heights, the setting for this musical. The show was conceived during Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sophomore year at Wesleyan University based on his childhood experience, and upon graduating he took the show to New York for a successful Off-Broadway run.

This Broadway production was a fabulous entry point into the research project. Unlike any musical I’ve seen, In the Heights incorporates the music of “the streets.” Hip-hop and rap were featured prominently, along with musical arrangements in the tradition of salsa, mambo, meringue, habanera, mariachi, and many other Latin styles, which successfully accentuate and compliment the culture and heritage of the characters’ Latino community (This is an interesting fusion piece. 6. “Doin’ Time (Marshall Arts Remix)” – Sublime feat. Pharcyde). This also gave the musical its unique identity, setting it apart from everything else one may have seen. Whereas West-Side Story pioneered a similar type of musical appropriation, In the Heights takes it to the next level. Indeed, perhaps most interesting is the show’s use of the newer genres, such as rap and hip-hop, which are so prevalent in today’s culture. Obviously, the lyrics are safer and the beats are “watered-down” but this actually works to the show’s advantage. Plot points, witticisms, slam-rhymes, emotional confessions – the rap and hip hop template opened doors to a novel way of telling the story. This also enforces the sense of an urban environment without unnecessarily engaging in some of the musical genre’s more negative aspects (whores, drugs, violence, etc.) – subject matter the show only wants to hint at (graffiti, the Black out, clubbing). Mr. Miranda makes it clear that the gang and thug mentality that rap music has often touted is most certainly not the answer in tough times (It might be the answer when you hear this though. 7. “Black Mags” – The Cool Kids). In fact, he uses rap to tell a different story. The message of In the Heights and its music is uplifting. A nihilist might complain that rap and hip hop, genres of the gritty street, weren’t meant to serve such a message, especially in such a sunshiny way, but all I can tell you is that it works.

The set is incredible. It all takes place on an intersection in Washington Heights, where people can look out of their apartment windows and see the action below. The community is the protagonist, and the urban set-design highlights this point. All sorts of characters are present, each representing certain Latino archetypes – the street vendor, the hairstylists, the taxi-operators (Yes, more Latin music. 8. “Tamacun” – Rodrigo y Gabriela). These roles are set up to make fun of their own stereotypical qualities but to also reveal deeper stories for each. The street vendor thrives during the Black Out, but he craves friendship; the hairstylists have to move away from their gossip-haven to Brooklyn for financial reasons, but they feel like they are abandoning family; the taxi-operation is a family business, the profit of which goes to their daughter’s college fund – the college she has just dropped out of. While many of the plot elements focus on money issues, definitely central to a poorer neighborhood, laments of each character and their emotive qualities come from that person’s relationship to the community. The communal relationships are powerful themes that fuel a lot of the momentum of the musical. Every character’s unique personal story is part of the community’s aesthetic, and everyone is involved.

The narrative is different, but so is the choreography (Dancing? Dancing. Evil dancing. 9. “Satan Said Dance” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). I’m no expert on dance, but second row seats can reveal how incredible the movement on stage really is. A fantastically urban set and the subsequent innovative ways to navigate it resulted in a visually spectacular performance. All the space was used with an incredible amount of energy. Moreover, the choreography was Latino as well, drawing inspiration from various Caribbean dances and even urban traditions. This only helps to show how the different cultures might be disparate in origin yet are united in the “hood”: the dancing is cohesive yet individualistic per character. David actually pointed out that in this case, dancing was an operational tool to advance the story. Beyond reflecting the emotion of the characters, their artistic interaction with the space often told a story of their own.

The various nuanced way these different aspects of the show have been approached mirrors the complexity of the characters’ identity within the community (Time for some beautiful Spanish music. 10. “Antillas” – El Guincho). Certainly, identity is a central theme for In the Heights and it explores this theme beautifully. However, there were some weaker points in the show. Especially in contrast to the fantastic younger characters like Sonny (Ron De Jesús), the older cast seemed to be lacking something. Abuela Claudia, played by Olga Merediz, while central to the show’s message, is a disappointing role. The character is one-dimensional and often cloyingly preachy or melodramatically burdened. Kevin (Carlos Gomez) and Camila (Priscilla Lopez), the parents in the show, were also somewhat flat. Carlos Gomez had trouble with his solo number, unable to hit some of the higher notes, and their characters seemed unbelievably stubborn, which elicited a fair amount of disinterest in their storylines. Finally, the “Hand of God” facet of the show was a tad frustrating. Much of the story’s advancement came from things outside of the characters’ control. For instance, the Black Out, which helped unite the community, seemed like a lucky change of events. SPOILER: The death of Abuela Claudia is the reason Usnavi stays, and before her death she had actually won the lottery. If one were to think too analytically, this seems to suggest a degree of fate to the show, since a lot of the action is out of the hands of the main players, which minimizes some of the character-struggles.

Despite its very few flaws, I was blown away by In the Heights (Let’s conclude with something kind of Latin. 11. “Qué Onda Guero” – Beck). At the end of the night, it was a fun first show, with a great songbook, and a remarkable story – both within the show itself and about the show’s journey to Broadway. This first taste of NY set the standard for my trip, and I was no longer nervous, but excited. After discussing the show with David, I called it a night, ready to wake up and see more.

1. “White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes
2. “Stress” – Justice
3. “Chromakey Dreamcoat” – Boards of Canada
4. “Chinese Translation” – M. Ward
5. “Oye Como Va” – Tito Puente feat. Santana
6. “Doin’ Time (Marshall Arts Remix)” – Sublime feat. Pharcyde
7. “Black Mags” – The Cool Kids
8. “Tamacun” – Rodrigo y Gabriela
9. “Satan Said Dance” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
10. “Antillas” – El Guincho
11. “Qué Onda Guero” – Beck

Gone SURFin’ pt. deux

(Leaving a disc on pause for more than a day is never good, but the mix picks up where it left off with neither skip nor scratch. 12. “Freejazz” – Envelopes) Our spirits were a bit dampened, or at least mine were at this point. Louke’s set was simply difficult to swallow enjoyably. Don’t get me wrong, the performance of music in a public setting will always be appreciated (to some degree) – seeing someone sing or a play an instrument will usually rub me the right way, and I was still wowed at the sheer grandeur that is Carnegie Hall. On the other hand, this whole experience was, as they say, a bit much.

I prepped mentally for more Jazz, but I was also awaiting my portion of Joni. I still haven’t heard the Rivers album, but back then this fact only increased my level of anticipation. Let’s get a few things straight though. Herbie Hancock is a living legend in his field. He is creative, accomplished, genre-bending, and a god on the keys. You will read nothing here that takes a shot at his musicianship; however, I will "fire at will" on his showmanship. The man cannot, or at least doesn’t try to, cater to his audience. Yes, he was cordial in between his songs, but musically he was distant. I understand that Jazz, especially improvisational Jazz (which there was plenty of), is not the most accessible of musical forms. Even so, there was nothing interesting about what Mr. Hancock did that Monday evening in June.

He played only two Joni Mitchel songs, featuring some nervous vocals from a pair of relatively unknown yet talented singers. Still, B-list voices on the microphone for “River” and “All I Want” did not live up to the treatment that such a critically acclaimed record deserves. They also sung on a few other covers of different artists' works, which I may have only partially recognized and did not care for. The rest of his show was instrumental filler – expositional Jazz. A ton of JAM and not enough toast to eat it with. Mr. Hancock's performance was the most self-indulgent display of musical talent I have ever seen. (Here’s an obvious one. 13. “We’ve Been Had” – The Walkmen) It seemed more like a competition in complexity and technique than a concert. Moreover, at one point Mr. Hancock presented the audience with what was clearly a contrived gimmick in which he took a keyboard guitar (made famous in the 80s) and proceeded to flaunt his genius in a funk-filled pissing contest of instrumental improv. It was a parade of his own musical skill that bordered on arrogant and frivolousness. Granted, Mr. Hancock was at his best alone on stage; when he seemed solely devoted to his piano, the pace slowed and there was space to breath. The man can play, and he was able to touch upon some quietly emotive moments as he meditated with his fingers to the keys.

Everyone on stage had talent. That wasn’t the issue. The talent simply wasn’t applied towards making an enjoyable show. It was a show that was interesting for 10 minutes and boring for the other 40. The look of the stage was bland to boot. Posturing can only get one so far. (To signify a normal reaction to Mr. Hancock’s performance, a steady beat and lazy melody slip into the air. We wrap up this mix with a new dark favorite. 14. “Half-Asleep” – Okay)

In our post-concert talk, David said two things worth noting. In regards to the show, “That’s what happens when a bunch of straight guys get together with nothing to do” (hilarious!). And in regards to our research, “Going to [Herbie Hancock’s performance at Carnegie Hall] reminds me that what I am doing is work” (true).

* * *

Most of our work concerns Broadway and Broadway only. This blog post and the day it concerned diverged slightly from that course, and it wasn’t a great experience, but it provided a different aspect of performance in New York. The posts that will proceed this one might not focus on something music related (in which case, I clearly saw a play that day), but 24 hours do not pass without me indulging in something musical, and to be sure, that something on those musically lacking days will be mentioned. And, of course, a mix will always be provided. I am a DJ after all. Here’s the June 23, 2008 track listing:

1. “A Day in the Life” – The Beatles
2. “Some Things Last a Long Time” – Beach House
3. “The Night Is Day Turned Inside Out” – Beulah
4. “Work” – Gang Starr
5. “Wrapped up in Books” – Belle & Sebastian
6. “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
7. “Brainy” – The National
8. “Jazz (We've Got)” – A Tribe Called Quest
9. “The Wrong Way” – TV on the Radio
10. “The Conversation” – Joni Mitchell
11. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” – Vampire Weekend
12. “Freejazz” –Envelopes
13. “We’ve Been Had” – The Walkmen
14. “Half-Asleep” – Okay

Gone SURFin'

As per the now antiquated “Summer” post, I have (finally) begun my research for the University of Southern California and I have (finally) updated this blog. Actually, “begun” is a bit of a misapplied term. There is very little of the SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fund) money left, and I’m well into the actual research - having seen a handful of performances and having gathered bountiful amounts of data on every show we’ve attended (of course). Unfortunately, all of this busy work has left me with no time to update the blog (Ed. “Oh right, ‘cause seeing Broadway shows everyday and talking about them is SO HARD and time consuming”). By the way, I say “we” because there are two of us: I am, in my own exaggerated (self-deprecating) words, “The Chosen One,” the assistant for esteemed Professor David Román (Google the guy and be amazed). We, as I mentioned before, are studying the cultural politics of the 2008 Broadway season here in Manhattan, and we are doing a fine job of it. I am the best research assistant ever! Hooray for me!

Okay, enough touting. Now, for an entry point. The meat of this post begins, as this blog does mandate, with music. Gee, music is great.

Well, the life of the audio phile continues to be and has always been filled with, well, music. My tastes haven’t changed, fear not, but the focus has shifted during this time on Broadway. I’ve been inundated with the sounds of the American stage songbook, immersed into the culture of the musical, and educated in the compositions of the 2008 B-way season. All good things, but one cannot easily go from a video of the Bowerbirds in a store to parsing the directorial decisions made for this year’s revival of South Pacific. It’s a process – it takes time before one can comfortably discuss Wolf Parade’s newest and Lin-Manuel’s acceptance speech at the Tonys. The juxtaposition of two very different worlds of music might not even sound appealing for some, but admittedly I’ve unearthed an avid appreciation for the theater that was previously dormant. So yes, young hipster, you can: flaunt your taste for The Bake Sale EP, maintain confidence in your masculinity, and sing “Everything’s coming up roses!” without any shame. At least, this is the thesis, and the proof I offer is a recounting of my own experiences, and the proud admission that I am living a happy result. The music of Broadway can in fact be complimented with the eclectic world of today’s alterna/indie scene.

Be warned, this project is also academic in nature. The blog may serve to test-drive various analytical thoughts that my professor and I have discussed concerning certain shows. Criticism, intelligent criticism, will always be upheld, especially here, and I ask for your patience during this journey through Broadway. Still, take comfort in the effort that will be taken to incorporate worthwhile material that caters to my already established musical tastes for which this blog was set up to serve.

Since this is all very new, I begin with a transitional piece. It is relevant to both “The Audio Phile” and the SURF project, making it the entry point I’ve been prepping you for. The following is, at the moment, a prototype for what will hopefully be a regular posting style in regards to these experiences.

A Jazz Performance – this will be the culmination of a day on the SURF work horse.

(Insert the burned mix for June 23, 2008. The whir of the disc spinning hits you just before track one starts to play. 1. “A Day in the Life” – The Beatles) Rain in New York City is most obviously more welcome here than it is in Los Angeles. Here, the weather is understood to be a fluctuating phenomenon, whereas people in L.A. tend to be accustomed to and comfortable with only one type of climate: this is commonly referred to as “perfect weather.” Today, Manhattan showcased environmental conditions analogous to a toddler’s temper. “Scattered thunderstorms” hardly describes the diversity of the weather; humid to dry, back to humid, to breezy, to stale, to pouring, to sunny, to cloudy… This was the backdrop for my first full day in the big apple on our second week of research in the city. (As if tracing the description of the weather, the next song begins to drizzle in. 2. “Some Things Last a Long Time” – Beach House)

Through my hotel window, an ominous sky blankets my amazing view of the city. The day began with a shower, some coffee and a bagel, making me feel very New York. Throughout the day there were internet troubles, oranges, press kit calls and emails, the weather channel, an overstuffed backpack, no worthwhile music blog entries on the web, a sandwich with peppers, some walking, and a debilitating stomach ache to end the night. A full day, with intermittent loneliness to be sure, but that’s the nature of being alone in the city. Being with David was great though. (The mood shifts, and an Indie classic steps through the headphones, horns a-blasting. 3. “The Night Is Day Turned Inside Out” – Beulah)

There’s more though. One important aspect of this trip is the archival research. (To match the theme, an aptly titles track cuts in. 4. “Work” – Gang Starr). This takes place at the New York Public Library and the Billy Rose Collection at Lincoln Center. It’s actually kind of fun. It’s a bunch of going through catalogues, going through the bookstacks, requesting files, getting photocopies, and filling out forms. There’s definitely an atmosphere of a job, but each task is also fun. I’ll say this: I learned. (Sticking with the theme: 5. “Wrapped up in Books” – Belle & Sebastian) Over some Starbucks (Professor’s preference), we discussed the week’s task ahead, and embarked to do more research on The Country Girl (Clearly inspired by the word “country,” the author of the mix has cued: 6. “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), which is a play I’ll discuss in more detail later, I’m sure. It is one of the central works for our research. At the library that day we went through production photos of the 1950 premier at the Lyceum Theater starring Paul Kelly, the 1966 revival at City Center, the 1972 stint at the Billy Rose Theater, and the 1984 Off-Broadway production at the Chelsea Playhouse. Most intriguing was the clippings file on The Country Girl containing all the press info archived in the most disorganized and shambled way. The librarians literally hand you a manila folder with fifty year old newspaper clippings falling out of it. Pieces of history could easily be lost to the floor. Praying that hadn’t happened as we looked though the file, we discovered much about the context of each of those aforementioned performances, and we also got a sense of each staging’s critical reception. After a couple hours, with our choice pieces photocopied (The last of the library related tracks follows. 7. “Brainy” – The National), I got ready for the night’s event.

This project is also designed to give me a taste of New York City. My interests are most prominently music related. I have never seen nor been inside, much less heard anyone play: Carnegie Hall. It was the combination of these three factors that lead me to the JVC Jazz festival featuring Herbie Hancock at the renowned Andrew Carnegie Hall. (Continue with relevance. 8. "Jazz (We've Got)” – A Tribe Called Quest)

Before David got the tickets, we had discussed the plan at Starbucks (same one, same time). It was a choice between Mr. Hancock, the famous and critically acclaimed Jazz pianist, and Spring Awakening, the Tony-sweeping alterna-musical of 2007, which David had already seen and which would not pertain to our research. (Foreshadowing a bad decision, the discord of the next track bursts into the sound-scape. 9. “The Wrong Way” – TV on the Radio). The fact is that I had studied Joni Mitchell’s Ladies of the Canyon in David’s class this past semester. Herbie Hancock just won the Grammy for album of the year – Rivers, this latest album of his, solely consisted of Joni Mitchell covers. His stop at Carnegie Hall was part of his tour (“The River of Possibilities”) promoting Rivers. Moreover, David’s research often focuses on what can be referred to as “The American Songbook.” He has written about and studied Joni Mitchell before, and this piece of Joni Mitchell’s legacy that Herbie Hancock has brought into the American spotlight coincided with David’s studies. Indeed, Mr. Hancock’s performance at Carnegie Hall seemed like the perfect thing to do for us.

Thinking that we were going to get a heavy dose of Mitchell (Obviously something of hers is next. 10. “The Conversation” – Joni Mitchell) via the Jazz genius of Hancock, we met in front of the famous doors at Carnegie Hall. Like every other show I’ve attended for this trip, I (poorly) documented the crowds and the venue via camera. This gives one a sense of the audience. What the show is trying to communicate, to whom it is doing the communication, and thee people that choose to actively listen are all pretty important aspects of a performance. In a way, they define the context of and the reason for its existence. The audience is, of course, central to the validation of the act on the stage. Where this audience and this stage fits demographically can say a lot about the piece. David taught me a lot of that. Carnegie Hall and its expensive ticket prices attract a wealthier selection of people. How much they know about Jazz or to what degree they simply wish to participate in the cultural trend is not immediately evident, but one can cynically speculate that the majority know very little and only want to seem informed about the culture. Either way, this was not the raw Jazz audience or the bar scene in the genre’s heyday.

First, the inside of Carnegie Hall is spectacular. I’m sure I bring nothing new to the table when I say that the space is phenomenal in its open aesthetic and pristine sound. After the time spent admiring my surroundings, the Lionel Louke Trio walked onto the rather undecorated stage and opened the show with some Jazz/African guitar tunes and clucking vocals. It was pretty inaccessible stuff, which seemed like a mere showcase for Louke’s talent on his six stringed electric instrument. Clearly technically gifted, every twanged note seemed to come easily. The beats were complex, and the improvisation was rampant. However, it sounded a bit like a pretentious display of ability. Unconventional key shifts and obscure chord progressions occurred so often that the show felt all at once grating and ostentatious… and boring (the only sung “words” were the weird vocal formations spat into Louke’s mic). This is to say it was self-absorbed Jazz with an African flare, not deeply moving, not danceable, but very much intellectual, to the point of being tiresome. Herbie Hancock did come out to play with Louke, his former student, at one point. Both were very genial towards the crowd between songs throughout (Louke would come out later for Hancock’s set). But there was not much of an entry point – just a distanced appreciation for whatever was happening on that fairly vacant stage (my eyes wandered a bit too much, i.e. not a visually intriguing show). It would make anyone (me) thirsty for some afro-pop guitar. (Not wanting to seem too uncool, you’d expect something from Graceland to begin, but apparently it’s the less laudable afro-influenced white guys. 11. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” – Vampire Weekend). I chalked Louke and Co. up to an opening act trying too hard to impress, but I should have seen it as a warning for what was to come.