When it comes to the relationship between art and commerce, well..."it's complicated." Often so called high art, film and theater that's written for a so-called sophisticate audience tends to be too esoteric and doesn't connect with the masses. The other extreme is all too often the case when writers create films, television shows, theater, etc. with the masses in mind. These productions tend to do well, but be mind numbingly banal and cruel sort of torture for those of us who'd prefer to be engaged in a way that allows us to think for ourselves.

Through The Night is a new show written and performed by Obie Award winner Daniel Beaty and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright. It's a show so promising that it has the support of several prominent artistic ambassadors including Bill Cosby, Ruby Dee, Thelma Golden and Ben Vereen. It turns out that the hype surrounding Daniel Beaty's tour de force is well placed. Through The Night manages to weave a compelling tale about 6 very different yet very familiar black men while balancing the straight forward storytelling style that urban theater audiences tend to enjoy with a very smart and often subtle performance that provides added depth to each character.

Daniel uses stereotypical mannerisms, personality types and dialogue to introduce the audience to men who seem all too familiar, but just when you think it's going to be yet another gospel influenced stage production Mr. Beaty injects each character with dimension and provides insight into why they are who they are.

I could go on, but I feel it suffices to say that Through The Night is so much more than I expected. It's witty, clever, funny, thought provoking and inspiring. Though no art including this show is for everyone, I do recommend Through The Night as a night of theater EVERY ONE SHOULD SEE! For black men the show is a mirror reflecting the our many challenges, triumphs and dreams. For everyone else it is an entertaining night of theater that will help you to better understand what a black man thinks and feels from the inside out. GO SEE THROUGH THE NIGHT!

Check it out.

THREE WAYS TO ORDER:

1. ONLINE. Visit Ticketmaster.com by clicking here, select the performance date you wish to attend,
and enter code DBLAST in the
“Promotions and Special Offers” area.

2. Call Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787 and mention code DBLAST.

3. IN PERSON. Bring a print-out of this offer to the Union Square Theatre Box Office (100 East 17th Street, NYC).

REGULAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Beginning September 29, 2010
Wednesday - Friday at 8 pm
Saturday at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday at 3 pm & 7 pm

FOR GROUPS, please call 646-624-6678.

For more info on me visit my official website
www.rickyday.net

Posted by rickyday at 07:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Through The Night is a new show written and performed by Obie Award winner Daniel Beaty and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright. It's a show so promising that it has the support of several prominent artistic ambassadors including Bill Cosby, Ruby Dee, Thelma Golden and Ben Vereen.

Check it out.

THREE WAYS TO ORDER:

1. ONLINE. Visit Ticketmaster.com by clicking here, select the performance date you wish to attend,
and enter code DBLAST in the
“Promotions and Special Offers” area.

2. Call Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787 and mention code DBLAST.

3. IN PERSON. Bring a print-out of this offer to the Union Square Theatre Box Office (100 East 17th Street, NYC).

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Friday, September 10 at 8 pm
Saturday, September 11 at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, September 12 at 7 pm
Thursday, September 16 at 8 pm
Friday, September 17 at 8 pm
Saturday, September 18 at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, September 19 at 3 pm & 7 pm
Wednesday, September 22 at 8 pm
Thursday, September 23 at 8 pm
Friday, September 24 at 8 pm
Saturday, September 25 at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, September 26 at 7 pm

REGULAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Beginning September 29, 2010
Wednesday - Friday at 8 pm
Saturday at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday at 3 pm & 7 pm

FOR GROUPS, please call 646-624-6678.

For more info on me visit my official website
www.rickyday.net

Posted by rickyday at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Full Circle Films presents
HOUSE OF MAYHEM
A reading of a screenplay by David Pumo

Starring:
Moe Bertran, Ivan Davila, Mark Finley,
Jason Luna Flores, Isaac Calpito & Andre Darnel Myers

With:
Randy Aaron, Jennifer Gelfer, Kate Hodge,
Patricia Janvier, Brian Patacca & Minerva Vier

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 @ 6:30pm
at
the Leslie/Lohman Gallery
(address below)

HOUSE OF MAYHEM, written by David Pumo, based on his award-wining play. It's a sexy, street-smart comedy set in New York City about an alternative family with its own set of values. When fashion photographer Felony Mayhem comes face to face with Dennis, the sixteen-year-old hustler who mugged him a few days ago, he plots his revenge. But Felony soon discovers this tough street kid was thrown out by his God-fearing mother for being gay. When he decides to take the boy into their Brooklyn home, despite the objections of his blue-collar husband, Bobo, and child-hating best friend, drag diva Chile...it's mayhem! Soon two more kids join the makeshift family: Ivan, a street activist, dancer and rapper; and Epiphany, a fierce, barely-teenage tranny. Chile's already been thrown out of the TV room. Now the living room futon is occupied too. Can Dennis get a real job and escape from his past? Can Ivan get Chile to put him in his act? Can Epiphany keep from getting arrested...again? Can Chile find a place to sleep in peace? Are Felony and Bobo really ready to be...parents? HOUSE OF MAYHEM - It's a family affair!

For more info on me visit my official website
www.rickyday.net

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I've lived in New York for over 10 years now and I can count on my hands the number of Broadway musicals that I've seen. I like theater as a concept and I love music, but Broadway shows don't generally hold my interest because they tend to be far more cautious and conservative than I prefer my art to be.

I attended a preview performance of the new Broadway musical Memphis at The Shubert Theater last night. Memphis tells a story we've seen a thousand times in a very predictable way. The story is one of a white boy meets black girl and they share a common love of black music. He's a deejay, she's a soul singer and they fall for each other as the music propels each to career success. All is nearly lost when the dark clouds of racism threaten to tear them apart. Hmmm.

The cast is talented, professional and capable, but the subject matter and songs are a bit underwhelming. The staging is pretty good and there are definitely some breakout performances during the show including James Monroe Iglehart as Bobby, Cass Morgan as Mama and Chad Kimball as Huey. Montego Glover as Felicia is certainly a talented and capable actress/vocalist, but I kept wishing she had better songs to sing.

All that being said, these things are a matter of opinion and mine is no more important than anyone else's. If you like great dancing, good music and musical theater in general you will enjoy this show. If you crave ground breaking art that pushes the envelope, then turn on HBO.

I love seeing other artists doing what they love to do and I know there's an audience for this type of entertainment. Tell everyone you know who loves fairly traditional musicals to check this out. They will most definitely enjoy this show, our economy needs the revenue and I'm sure the musicians, cast and everyone who put the show together will appreciate the support.

As for me...hmmmm...not so much.

For more info on me visit my official website
www.rickyday.net

Posted by rickyday at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Saturday night I was invited to a night of theater down in the west Village. The show is called "RAW: No More Secrets, No More Lies..."A play by J.L. King author of On The Down Low, the controversial book that landed him on a much watched "DL episode" of Oprah a few years back.

Apparently the show I saw is a much different version of the show that opened 3 weeks ago. That version didn't go over very well with the press of from what I've heard via work of mouth audiences either. The version I saw was revamped and devoid of almost any mention of the down low life style. Instead it was an examination of 6 different men and their painful and sometimes humorous sexual and relationship experiences.

I am not a critic so I do not consider this a review, it's simply a brief account of how I felt about the show as a consumer. I did find myself surprisingly entertained and laughing out loud on more than one occasion. A couple of the performances really sorta stood out for me as showing the potential in both the actors and the show itself including Demarco Majors (Shirts and Skins), who demonstrates an almost teen-like innocence in his performance.

The Actor's Theater is an Off Broadway institution between Bleeker & Christopher Streets for over 40 years, the Actors' Playhouse has hosted international repertory company productions performing such plays as "Fortune and Men's Eyes". An intimate, Manhattan theatre space with seats for 160 and a proscenium stage, the playhouse is located at 100 Seventh Avenue South in New York's Greenwich Village. The theater was recently acquired by a new owner who happens to be African-American which is a rarity in the world of theater. If you don't catch Raw here in New York, the show will be going on tour and I will post upcoming cities and dates on this blog. You should def get out and support live theater and The Actors Playhouse soon and often.

Apparently another extra performance of Raw has been added and I will share those details wen I get them.

100 7th Ave South between Grove & Bleecker Streets New York City NY 10014
Phone:
(212) 255-6452
Website:
http://www.nyactorsplayhouse.com
Capacity:
163

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DINNER AT GRANDMA'S
A Play with Music
Written by Evern Gillard-Randolph; Directed by Linzey Jones

Black Spectrum Theater
Roy Wilkins Park - 177 Street Baisley Blvd.
(entrance 119-07 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaic a NY)

Thursday, Friday, February 19th & 20th at 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 21st: Matinee 2pm, Evening 7:30pm

Tickets: $40/ $33 / $25

Call Theatermania.com at (212) 352 - 3101 or go to www.theatermania.com or call (347) 366 - 4800 / (347) 659 - 7711

POPULAR HIT PLAY COMES TO QUEENS
With a powerful multi-generational cast, DINNER AT GRANDMA'S tells the story of a young girl growing up in a small American town called Cross, South Carolina during the turbulent sixties and seventies. It is a time of radical change in America, and the United States has just gone to war in Vietnam. Patriotism is running high, but most blacks throughout the country had little reason to celebrate due to the persistence of racism and discrimination in every arena from health care to housing to employment. As the play progresses, the audience learns more about the life of Grandma Gracie Riley and her effect on her granddaughter as well as her entire community. The score includes the world-changing civil rights songs of the movement, and the power of gospel music around the "meeting place" - Grandma's dinner table.

Broadway veteran JAMES STOVAL (Ragtime, Sweet Charity, The Life, Once On This Island) will be special guest hosts for the production.

For my info on me visit my official website
www.rickyday.net

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Yesterday one of my long, long, long term homies gave me a call and said he had an extra ticket to see a musical and asked if I wanted to go. Before I rolled my eyes to the back of my head and politely said no he informed me it was for Shrek The Musical. Due mostly to the fact he is a tried and true friend who I NEVER spend time with anymore and as an artist it is critical that I expose myself to all kinds of culture and experiences as often as possible I said yes. Plus we used to go on auditions together back when I thought I wanted to be an actor, so this was like a mini-trip down nerdy actor memory lane.

Don't get me wrong, I like movie musicals alright Moulin Rouge, Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz and Grease are among my favorite movies of all time along with Star Wars and other geek classics. For whatever reason I am not a big fan of Broadway. I saw Taboo (whew...what waz dat smell?...lol), Rent (I think I missed what everyone else loved so much), Hot Feet (no comment) and Mary Poppins (which I liked...almost as much as the movie). As I look back I think the shows I've seen may have something to do with my lack of love for Broadway. In any event, last night I saw Shrek.

The staging was great, the sets were beautiful and the lighting was of course professional. The story is closely based on the storyline of the now classic original film and features a great cast. Musicals go through a very long development process ( I know cause I worked on Harlem Song at the Apollo Theatre a few years ago), so I found it odd how timely certain themes in Shrek The Musical seemed to be. Finding love, finding friendship and going on a journey to find ones self are all classic themes that anchor the shows musical score and book.

However, there is another theme in the show that was very blatant, quite timely and ultimately true. It was the theme of standing up for your rights and being proud of who and what you are. Talk about an anthem for gay rights! There is such a song in the show and it's called Freak Flag. It was quite interesting to watch parents with their children as a noticeably fey Pinocchio, an under cover transvestite Big Bad Wolf and supporting cast of...well outcasts proudly sung the refrain of let your freak flag fly! It was...well...FREAKY...liberating and fun! Much to their credit, the families seated near us enjoyed every note of the show including the obvious references to living your own life and letting others live theirs with respect and dignity.

The cast was great. Brian d'Arcy James is great as Shrek, Sutton Foster rocks as Princess Fiona, Christopher Sieber steals the show as Lord Farquaad, and Daniel Breaker is charming and hysterical as Donkey.

Daniel Breaker who plays Donkey

The only weakness in the show for me were the songs. They were decent, but not incredible and I cannot remember one melody or lyric right now and after all isn't the songs what a musical is supposed to be about? Strange thing is though I didn't quite love the songs, I still highly recommend letting your freak flag fly and checking out Shrek The Musical for yourself.

Shrekofficialwebsite

Musical Numbers
Act I
Big Bright Beautiful World
Story of My Life
The Goodbye Song
Don't Let Me Go
I Know It's Today
What's Up, Duloc?
Travel Song
Donkey Pot Pie
This Is How a Dream Comes True
Who I'd Be

Act II
Morning Person
I Think I Got You Beat
The Ballad of Farquaad
Make a Move
When Words Fail
Morning Person (Reprise)
Build Me a Wall
Freak Flag
Big Bright Beautiful World (Reprise)

ShrekTheMusical

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