“Girls Only” – Downstairs Cabaret Theatre

our group's table in the cabaret theatre

If you’re looking for an evening of pure fun on a girls’ night out, this is it. This combination of skits, improvisation, song, and dance is hysterical from beginning to end. Even before the beginning, as the actresses lounge on stage in their underwear, welcoming audience members with a wave as if we were already best friends, coming for a sleepover. My friend Mary Ann even went to talk to them before the theatre went dark! You’ve got to give actress and co-writer Linda Klein credit for guts and self-confidence, since she’s more like an older Lena Dunham than an older Keira Knightley… Amie MacKenzie, who plays the part written by and originally for Barbara Gehring, reminded me of a cross between Tina Fey and Mary Steenburgen.

Both women were thoroughly entertaining and quick on their feet, and even the one man in the audience enjoyed the show (although I’m not sure he got some of the jokes, and some of them had to make him downright uncomfortable!). And I suspect that all of the women in the audience could relate to most of the show, from the dramatic pre-teen diary entries, some of which no longer made sense to their adult selves, to a post-menopausal sketch on recycling ideas for sanitary products.

girls' night out, posing with Linda Klein and
Amy MacKenzie (front middle & right) after the show

The promotional material for “Girls Only – The Secret Comedy of Women” says it best:

“Born out of the earnest and sweetly ridiculous writings the two authors discovered in their girlhood diaries, the GIRLS ONLY mix of sketch comedy, improvisation, audience participation, and hilarious songs and videos will remind you that underneath, women all have very funny and charming feminine similarities. Bring your mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends; we promise you’ll leave laughing, ready to dig out YOUR diary!”

The show made me thankful that decades ago, I did a last reading through my teen diaries (seriously, who was that depressing girl?!) and carefully shredded them, so no one else would stumble on them. But the show also made me want to go again, if I can find the time to fit it in. The show runs until November 16 at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre at Winton Place.

http://downstairscabaret.org/GIRLS%20ONLY%20Website.html

Planned Parenthood Luncheon

It was overwhelming to see so many people (mostly women, but there were a few men) turn out for the annual Planned Parenthood lunch at the Convention Center – there were at least 45 tables of about 10. My sister-in-law Kathryn and I arrived just in time to be seated, because of the time we wasted trying to park in the adjacent garage, so we didn’t have time to catch up with many friends, although I did manage to spot her cousin at a nearby table and introduce them to each other (they hadn’t seen each other in decades!).

Karen Nelson, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, welcomed the audience, gave apologies for Mayor Lovely Warren, who had another event that was more important to her, and introduced Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who received a standing ovation. I wondered whether County Executive Maggie Brooks had been invited…

The highlight of the afternoon was the keynote speaker – Sarah Weddington. I will admit I’d never heard of her. Roe v. Wade was decided when I was still a pre-teen. Thanks to her, two of my high school friends were able to have safe and legal abortions. Sadly, the Supreme Court decision did not put the issue to rest, and I must have written my Senator in my 20s, because I still have his reply (see below), complete with misspelled last name.

Ms. Weddington was a fantastic speaker, and I suspect we could have listened to her for hours and not been bored. It is amazing to think that she was only 26 years old when she went before the Supreme Court. She appalled us with stories of states that as recently as 50 years ago criminalized birth control, let alone abortion. And she rued that she never would have thought that abortion would still be an issue almost 40 years later, and admitted she is “worried about whether we’re on the edge of losing.” Her state, Texas, like many other southern “red” states, is trying to make abortion unavailable. She implored us to keep New York a haven for women in states that curtail women’s rights. The timing of the luncheon couldn’t have been better, as we approach mid-term elections next week. Obviously, there are many issues to consider in choosing a political candidate (or in many cases, casting a ‘yes’ vote for one candidate merely as a way of saying ‘no’ to the other). But this is one issue I hope is a non-issue in our state, now and forever.

Infinity boxes by Matt Elson at the Memorial Art Gallery

First, let me say that there is no way to communicate how cool this exhibit is in words – you really have to see it in person – but I will try.

Linda & Sue in one of the boxes

In August, the Memorial Art Gallery ran an on-line fundraiser to bring the Infinity Boxes to Rochester, and one of the levels gave the supporters (and their friends) a private one-hour tour with the artist himself. It’s a rare privilege to actually meet a creator, so I didn’t hesitate. Although the boxes have been on a road trip cross-country (Matt lives in LA), the MAG is the first museum to host the exhibit. Marie Via, Director of Exhibitions, coordinated and accompanied us on our visit, and explained that while the bulk of the boxes are together in one room, others are strategically located throughout the galleries to encourage visitors to explore the entire museum (Matt remarked that this was an extraordinary experience for him as an artist). And since it’s such a compact museum, that isn’t such a hardship!

Many Gwens

Matt couldn’t have been more delightful as he introduced himself (his background is in computer graphics, and he spent time at both Dreamworks and Disney) and the Infinity Box concept: “artworks that play with and explore human perception and social connection.” Each box is different, each window provides a unique experience, and the boxes are “only active when they’re shared, because art happens in community.” 

Many Lindas

With one exception, each box requires at least two people to experience fully (“It takes two. I thought one was enough, It’s not true: It takes two of us”*). And since the perspective from each opening of each box differs, you need to take your time exploring. Matt urged us not to be timid, but to get our heads totally inside the boxes, to “immerse (ourselves) in the particular experience,” and to touch his artwork and exquisite frames on the outside. How often do you get that up close and personal with museum art? He also wants people to take pictures and share them, to encourage social interaction. Matt graciously offered to send me a copy of the audio he was recording of our tour, which allowed me to put down my notepad and really be present in the “here and now” of the experience.

Many mes

Although there are some warnings about possible vertigo or nausea, my group’s reaction was overwhelmingly:  “Wow!” No dizziness, just some occasional “magic eye” moments, and amazement at the miracle of mirrors, and the ways they can trick your eyes and brain. There was one box in particular that lent itself to panoramic photography. When I requested that he photograph me while I changed my expression, he remarked that I was “one of the very few people that intuitively gets that” (maybe you just have to be a bit of a geek...). Unfortunately, even though he called out “change” to warn me of the stitching, we weren’t quite in synch, so sometimes my face looks a bit wacky.

Sue, me, Matt, Linda, and Gwen

The exhibit runs through January 4, 2015, and would be great for taking visiting relatives to over the holidays. Apparently, all the security guards have been trained to assist museum-goers in experiencing the art, since they won’t have the benefit of personal instruction by the artist. I have a feeling I’ll be back a couple of times with different sets of friends, and I’ll keep trying for the perfect panorama.

For more information, visit the museum’s website: http://mag.rochester.edu/exhibitions/infinity-boxes/

Or Matt Elson’s website: www.mattelson.com

* It’s always Sondheim.

DANCE/Hartwell

"At the Jubilee" (photo courtesy of the College at Brockport)

Our friend Colleen, who is getting her MFA in Dance at Suny Brockport, presented her masters thesis dance at the past weekend’s performances in the DANCE/Hartwell program. She had invited me to some of the rehearsals, but I hadn’t had time, so the piece was a complete (and exciting!) surprise. Charlie and I were accompanied by her uncle Tom and his partner Glen, and as I entered Hartwell Hall, two girls with bouquets of flowers reminded me we hadn’t bought Colleen any. Luckily some students were selling single roses, for $3.50, and I bought four, one for each of us to give her (I was such an old lady to the girl taking my $20, who immediately went to her phone to calculate my total – I admonished her to do the math in her head, and she just stared at me blankly, until one of her friends loudly whispered the answer).

Although there were eight pieces on the program, it ran just under an hour. The first piece, “111, Go!” completely captivated me. Allison Bohman’s choreography (“in collaboration with the dancers”) was a perfect counterpoint to her music choice of two movements from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. The creative, and complementary, costumes, designed by Emma Scholl, were all made from the same fabrics, but none was alike. I also liked the use of light and shadow, and the fact that the lone male dancer wasn’t marginalized, but had a role equal to that of the women.

I had seen “Glassy Ladies” (choreographed by Rachel Keane, Maya Gonzales, and Christina Gorman) before, in a smaller space, and either because it was not new to me, or because it was no longer an intimate performance, it didn’t seem to have the same impact on this stage. And as amusing as the addition of video was to the piece, it seemed to distract, rather than fill the larger space. Some of the works were set to music with lyrics that I felt also distracted from the movement, especially when they required effort to listen to, or were more clever than the choreography. But all of the dancers performed beautifully.

"At the Jubilee" (photo courtesy of the College at Brockport)

Colleen’s piece, “At the Jubilee,” was last but not least (I was reminded of my youth piano recitals, where the best students performed first and last, and the rest of us were sandwiched forgettably in between). This was the first time I had seen her work choreographed for dancers other than herself, and I was impressed by her ability to translate her vocabulary of movements to her troupe. She also incorporated some lighter moments into the work, and gave the audience a chance to laugh, which we did. It was a great ensemble piece, and although Colleen also participated, she did not solo, or even put herself in front. We only got to spend a few minutes afterward with her, because we kept getting interrupted by other people who wanted to congratulate her on a job so well done! I really hope Colleen finds a niche in Rochester post-graduation, so our community can continue to benefit from her talent and enthusiasm. I remarked to Charlie on our drive home that this was probably our last visit to Hartwell Hall, but as he replied, “you never know...”

University of Rochester Meliora Weekend

When I think of college towns, I think of my own college in Vermont, or Cambridge, MA, or even Ithaca, closer to home. I never thought of Rochester as being a college town, but when you realize that the University of Rochester is the city’s largest employer (and incredibly, the sixth largest employer in New York State!), perhaps I need to reconsider…

Charlie walking Todd on campus
at a break in a Warner School meeting
we attended

Last weekend was “Meliora Weekend,” which appears to be parents’ and alumni weekend crammed together. It’s such a big affair that they create a whole website and booklet devoted to the various activities that occur on their multiple campuses, and tickets to the keynote address (this year by Doris Kearns Goodwin) and the major entertainer (this year Jason Alexander) can be rather difficult to score. There is obviously quite an economic impact on the city, as one would expect in a college town – restaurant reservations are hard to come by, unless you want to eat at 4:30 or 8:30, and various hotels, including the Strathallen and several lower-end brands (Radisson, Mariott Courtyard, Staybridge) were completely sold out. The son of one of Charlie’s U of R roommates is attending the school, so his parents come visit each year and stay with us. Last year, we were lucky enough all to get tickets to Demetri Martin (our were procured by a friend who works at the school, otherwise we would have been shut out!).

"Jason Alexander and His Hair"

This year, we purchased the Jason Alexander tickets as part of an “Eastmant Presents” subscription, before we even knew it would be part of Meliora Weekend, so our tickets were quite a bit better than our visiting friends’. Jason Alexander gave a wonderful performance, with a mix of comedy (including embarrassing various front-row audience members) and musical numbers. He is a talented musician, and he sang a hysterical mad-libs sort of song, with phrases related to Rochester. He paid homage to the garbage plate, of course, but also gave a nod to High Falls, which, he rhymed, aren’t so great.

In answer to our houseguests’ query about what to do with their son Saturday afternoon, I provided them with passes to the Susan B. Anthony House (which they hadn’t heard of) and the George Eastman House, with recommendations to visit both, if possible. Instead, they chose the Strong Museum of Play (also a good choice, I just didn’t have any freebies there). It saddens me that just as I didn’t engage with my Vermont community as a student (and yes, there were things to do, even in that rural countryside!), most U of R students don’t interact with the Rochester community – they could just as easily be in Evanston or Pittsburgh, given the bubble they live in. Part of this probably is due to the campus location, and lack of proximity or transportation to non-University cultural activities, but I suspect it is mostly due to lack of student curiosity in their surroundings, and lack of time. I say “sad” because when they graduate, they likely feel no particular tie to Rochester itself, and no great desire to choose to continue to live and work here. You would hope that the U of R would do more to connect their students with culture and opportunities here, to try to retain them post-graduation. The result would not only contribute greatly to the local economy, but increase the probability that the graduates become meaningful donors, since they would then understand the larger context of their alma mater, and the integral role it plays in our city. 

Live from Hochstein: the RPO

I had no idea that the RPO’s new maestro, Ward Stare, would be conducting this free lunchtime concert when my friend Martha asked if I was interested in attending with her, but I accepted the invitation anyway, just to have a chance to hear (and see…) the RPO in a more informal setting (brown-bagging lunch is encouraged, and the concert lasts under an hour).

The atmosphere was indeed relaxed, and it was fun to run into other friends in the audience, as well as to see young children, and even a couple of babies!  (Yes, one was probably heard on the broadcast.)  I was surprised that the orchestra was dressed in concert black, since none of the radio listeners would know if they were wearing tuxes or jeans (I recall being at a broadcast ago of Lake Wobegon decades ago, when Garrison Kiellor described for the listeners, in meticulous detail, the uniforms of the on-stage band, only they were wearing no such thing!)  The orchestra seats were reasonably full, despite the difficulty of parking in that area on a weekday, and it was weird finally seeing the WXXI host, Mona Seghatoleslami, in person (of course, I recognized her voice immediately).

The orchestra played two extremely familiar pieces (the overture to Rossini’s Barber of Seville, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 “Italian”), and I could hear a woman behind me humming along. Ward Stare was such a joy to watch conduct, as he danced to the beat of the Rossini. Martha, who was seeing him for the first time, remarked, “Oh my God, his energy is amazing!”

As much as I enjoy watching the conductor and musicians from the orchestra seats (principal violist, Melissa Matson, was particularly fun to observe, as her head hypnotically followed Stare’s baton at one point when the violas were silent), I wished that I had sat on the far side of the balcony, where I could have seen Stare’s face as he conducted, and viewed him almost from the perspective of the orchestra itself. Note to myself for next time! 

Why attend a live performance

(Another little something I wrote for Concentus' blog (the women's group in which I sing):

Why does anyone bother to attend a live classical concert?  It seems obvious that if Bruce Springsteen or Coldplay came to town, the hall (or, more likely, stadium) would be sold out.  But a choral concert?  Or the symphony orchestra?  Why not just stay home and listen to a CD, while doing something productive, instead of sitting captive for an hour or two?  I can think of many reasons to witness music live –for example, to hear different musicians’ and conductors’ interpretations of familiar works, to be introduced to unfamiliar pieces, to share in the social experience.

When I was younger and would tell my mother about having gone to see a particular  concert, she would correct me:  you go to hear a performance, not see it.  In thinking about why it matters to go to live performances at all, it occurs to me that she wasn’t entirely correct.  If one just wanted to hear Holst’s The Planets* or “perhaps a piece of Mahler’s,” one could just listen to a recording at home.  If one wanted exposure to unfamiliar music, there’s always (for now, at least) a local classical music radio station.  So I beg to differ – I do go to concerts to see the performance, in addition to hearing it! 

In a live performance, you can actually observe, as well as hear, the music rippling through an orchestra.  Or see the singers’ intensity or watch them sway to the beat. You can follow the conductor as he or she guides the musicians.  And only in live performance will you have the opportunity to experience the unexpected – the hiccups that get edited out for the sake of recorded perfection, or the spontaneity of a truly deserved standing ovation.  I’ve been in an audience which witnessed a touching moment  when Alicia de Larrocha blanked in the middle of a piano solo and had to be brought the score, and in another where we couldn’t get enough of the folk choir “Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares.”

In addition, you also get to see different conducting styles.  Years ago, my brother Bill and I attended a New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Bobby McFerrin, and we will never forget it.  McFerrin didn’t quite connect with the orchestra, and they managed to practically ignore him as he did, in Bill’s words, “his dance of the sugar plum fairy imitation.”  At the other end of the spectrum, Leonard Slatkin, conducting the same orchestra, was so in tune with the musician as they responded to his every movement, that the audience was actually able to watch, as well as hear the music, as melodies bounced from one section of the orchestra to another.

Rochester has an amazing range of resident classical musical groups, orchestral and choral, professional and amateur, that there is surely something for everyone.  The only challenges are finding out who’s performing where and when, and finding the time to fit it all in. Live.

*Concentus will be reprising their “stellar” RPO performance of this piece with the Penfield Symphony Orchestra in October – click here for more information: http://www.concentus.org/concerts/e/penfield-symphony-orchestra-out-of-this-world