Jacob's Pillow and Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion

Kyle Abraham in Inventing Pookie Jenkins 

After it became clear to me that MA tax-free weekend was going hi-jacked my husband from me during our vacation, I was able to participate in A Weekend OUT at Jacob's Pillow. Boston has never struck me as a huge dance-town. It was powerful to be back, surrounded by these athlete/artists when so much about my own physical being has changed. With my most recent memories of dancers being the larger-than-life Gods and Goddesses that are showgirls, I had forgotten that dancers, as a rule, are small, powerful beings. I felt like an awkward giant surrounded by focused muscle and discipline. With the immediate access of the performers at Jacob's Pillow, I was reminded of the dancer's controlled diet pre-performance - light salads and many cigarettes - and the frenzied surge at a post-performance cocktail party's buffet table.

Jacob's Pillow is unique to the world. The international dance festival that grew out of Ted Shawn's Men Dancers is relaxed and inviting. The juxtaposition of the discipline of dance to the wildness, and sometimes indeed very backdrops, of the environment, grabs the viewer. Art is to be found at the intersection of discipline of training and the abandonment to the muse or inner-calling of the performer. The Pillow is a constant reminder of that struggle. The rustic barns, the gently stone paths, day-light streaming in through the rafters, casting a subtle glow on the warm walls of knotty pine in the interiors of the performance spaces.

I was especially moved by the performances of Kyle Abraham and his company, Abraham.In.Motion who appeared in Doris Duke theater. Abraham, an out, black dancer from Brooklyn presented an evening of powerhouse performance. His solo work in Inventing Pookie Jenkins captivated the audience. Abraham's choices were so specific, I wonder if anyone else could ever be able to dance this piece about race, sexuality, and individual expression in a world where so many specifics are too quickly lumped together in assumption. Movements of lightning precision reminiscent of swans (perhaps due to Abrahams costume of floor-lenght tulle) played against the theatrical realness of a young black man's street persona. The artist requires that the audience engage him on his own terms, personable and never out-right aggressive. The company of performers was indeed fierce. Not merely in the drag-queen, street sense of the term. But in a powerful directness that cannot be ignored.

The Company in Radio Show.

Because the Composer Tells me to.

Finally saw Toy Story 3. I know, I know. I'm way behind. And I had the exact same response as virtually everyone else: tears welling up in my eyes at the end as it was clear that we were saying good-bye to some of the most beloved characters of a generation.



While I love that the 3-D didn't do any of the expected tricks; it was just there as a subtle tool to more completely pull us into the story. The effects were especially effective during the junk yard scenes, helping to slowly build tension as the conveyor belt climbed higher and higher to the burning light of doom.

But what I think may go unnoticed by many is the brilliant score by Randy Newman which quietly dictated the emotional tone of each scene. The resolution and dignity of the toys reaching for each other's hands as they head towards their fate is perfectly captures. Throughout the movie, Newman re-introduces themes of relationships and responsibility with As Long as She Needs Me from Toy Story 2. The final scenes so effectively pull on the heart-strings. How could there have been a dry eye in the house? And I tend to view Newman's work through Family Guy's eyes.

But then again, I cry whenever a composer uses a minor key in a Kodak commercial, too.

Get Low Trailer (HD)

Normally not my type of movie, but the combination of Duvall, Murray, and Spacek just screams "Quality". Like the wealthy-of-Newport-of-old quality.

Lately I've been fascinated by stories of how people came to be where they are. I think that there are so many stories in all of our lives that if were put down, pen to paper, would seem more fantastic than any movie could ever present.



File this under: "Please, God, don't let this suck."

Why Isn't Billy Getting Votes?

So why isn't one of the clearly most talented dancers on So You Think You Can Dance not getting the votes? Gee, that's a tough one. Gosh, that's hard.

Actually, it's pretty clear.

Dancer Billy Bell has been put in the unfortunate position of being a brilliant technical dancer who doesn't wreak of masculinity, and he's in a popular-driven dance contest.  And this week he was cast in not one, but TWO roles that were clearly choreographed and costumed for a female dancer. And he danced them brilliantly. That's not the problem.

Without the guidance and the expert opinions of the judges, clearly addressing that Billy's professionalism in willing to dance in roles that are obvious suicide-moves in producer Nigel Lythgoe's world where only "man who dance like men" are accepted and praised. I would love it judge Adam Shankman would address the gender stereotypes in dance that Billy is helping to break-down. But maybe he's too gay, too. Oh, wait. Did I just say that? Y'up. Homophobia is really breaking down this show down and actually re-enforcing stereotypes about dancers. Every time Shankman looks at one of the male dancers and says, "Buddy, I don't know why you're not connecting with the audience," he's lying. Of course, he knows. It's just a shame that there's finally a platform to address the topic and no one seems to have the courage.

I get that the show may be avoiding the topic and hoping that the heaping praise that the judges are throwing on Billy and fellow brilliant-but-probably-too-gay contestant Robert Rolden will be enough to get viewers to come around. But I don't have that much faith in America. I'm a gay man. I know that despite how far we've come it's still comes down to someone saying out loud: You can't judge a person that way.

But I can guess how this ends. So, probably can Travis Wall, Brandon Bryant, and Jakob Karr.

El Donkey Show!

Disco Fairies.

Gender Bending, Drug Pushing Club Owners.

Scantily Clad, Nightlife Queens.

All this, and more, are yours at ART's production of The Donkey Show at Club Oberon in Cambridge. Bring your dancing shoes, grab a cocktail or two and boogie down to your favorite disco hits.

Andy and I took his best friend from college and her new boyfriend and had an amazing time. The vocals have only gotten better with time and the cast is still super hot. The boy in the blue shorts may be channeling my favorite of the iconic gay looks, but god-love-him, the boy cannot dance and the glitter is thrashing his skin. Bless.

Sleep No More Some More

Just heard from Kati at A.R.T that Sleep No More is going to be extended further into the new year. While this ground-breaking production may no be for everyone, anyone with a sense of adventure and an open mind MUST check it out. It is guaranteed to be a theatrical experience unlike anything you've ever seen before.

B Side Portraits

C.C.
Originally uploaded by BRENT REFSLAND

JP Licks, Jamaica Plain's culture center, has an amazing photo exhibit including work by Brent Refsland. These whimsical images riff on portraiture in a powerful, fresh way. The pieces present interesting relationships between the subject and the graphic backgrounds that Refsland has chosen. As a resident of Boston, it was great to be see some of our everyday locations elevated to a higher cause.

Be sure to check it out while you're getting you Pumpkin Custard ice cream fix on.