LBJ took the IRT down to 4th St. USA

Posted 8/21/12

While these words strung together might seem esoteric, they are ringing in my ears as I review where I’ve been over the last few days. The reference is to a song from “HAIR” (the tribal …

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LBJ took the IRT down to 4th St. USA

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While these words strung together might seem esoteric, they are ringing in my ears as I review where I’ve been over the last few days. The reference is to a song from “HAIR” (the tribal love-rock musical) written by James Rado, Jerome Ragni and Galt McDermot, and that particular tune is strung together by a collection of acronyms (a word formed from the initial letters of a compound term—think NATO, radar or laser). As I darted to and fro with the Wonder Dog in tow, I couldn’t help but notice them popping up. While it began innocently enough with a trip to Victoria Lesser’s place, (www.theoldnorthbranchinn.com), it wasn’t long before the letters (acronymically speaking) began to emerge. I was at the NBI to check out a trio of musicians who stopped by on their way to perform at the NYC’s longest running rock club, The Bitter End. Initially, I thought they were a trio, but as it turns out the three are simply friends who occasionally play together and had an opportunity to do a small tour of the East Coast. I asked a few questions and learned that Alyssa Bonagura, Harrison Whitford and Rebecca Correia all reside in Nashville, TN and occasionally jam together there, and the NBI was packed as they performed individually and as a group. I enjoyed all three (as did the crowd) and noticed that über-producer Michael Lang (think 1969 Woodstock Music Festival) was in the house listening to the young folks do their thing. After the show, I snapped a photo of them all together for posterity, since they could be (IMHO) destined for the big time.

On Thursday, I was back at the Forestburgh Playhouse (FBP) to snap some photos of Loretta Swit as “Mame,” before she changes costumes to perform in its next production, “The Best little Whorehouse in Texas” (www.FBPlayhouse.org). From there, I made my way to Livingston Manor for a double dose of acronyms—the LFT in residence at CAS. Paul Austin’s company (www.libertyfreetheatre.org) presented a “premiere performance reading” of playwright Sheldon Currie’s new work titled “By The Sea—Anna’s Story” with Austin, Janna Comando and Kate Warren breathing life into the characters. Currie has written some impressive work, including “The Glace Bay Miners’ Museum,” which was made into a film starring Helena Bonham Carter, and “Anna’s’ Story” exemplifies why the writer has been celebrated. I found the story riveting and the presentation (with no sets, lighting, costumes or staging) equally so. Currie was at CAS (www.catskillartsociety.org) to participate in a Q&A, but as usual, I was in a rush, so simply asked a quick Q, got a (somewhat satisfactory) A and dashed. The LFT has several upcoming productions slated, and my advice would be to check them out, since Austin consistently provides quality, thought-provoking entertainment, with the motto “everyone welcome, always.” Hard to believe, but these shows are always (OMG!) free of charge, so no excuses… Check ‘em out.

On Saturday, I joined several work pals at the North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL Theatre) in Highland Lake for yet another sold-out show. After last year’s incredibly successful visit, New York City’s “premiere variety cabaret” (think burlesque) was back to present The Slipper Room’s “Mr Choade’s Perfect Storm,” which I believe was titled as such to somehow blend the theatre’s year-long “Weather Project” with magic, comedy and exotic dancing. While that collaboration may have been a bit of a stretch, the show was utterly fantastic, and (not surprisingly) Tannis Kowalchuk and company (www.nacl.org) once again delivered on her vow to “inspire each other as artists and citizens.” Although the program initially promised weather-themed “dancing raincoats, twirling umbrellas and magical galoshes,” I saw none of those things, but simply didn’t care, since the show (www.slipperroom.com) delivered top-notch entertainment that was amusing, electrifying, sparkly, sexy and just-plain-hilarious fun. The ladies (Trixie Little, Pinky Special and Hazel Honeysuckle) were gorgeous and their performances a perfect tribute to “fan dancer” Gypsy Rose Lee and the golden age of burlesque at its finest. The men (Walt Whitman, Matthew Holzclaw, and The Evil Hate-Monkey) were equally talented and the production itself was a tonic for my beleaguered self-imposed pity party. Thumbing through the program I came across the thoughts of NACL co-founder Brad Krumholz who writes (in part) that “there are those who would assert that the arts are a luxury and a waste of time” and that many of us “know very well that this is untrue.” The concept alone makes me LOL and as I scour the Upper Delaware River Valley (there’s an acronym in there somewhere) seeking new forms of entertainment, I’ll be happy to inform you all ASAP.

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