Eye On the Arts

Julieta Cervantes New York, New York May 25, 2023 -- It's mind-bending listening to Neil Diamond's songbook because his songs are so much a part of America's musical fabric. Knocking out song after song, the charismatic Will Swenson  embodies Neil Diamond from his early days to the yêars he eclipses Elvis Presley in The Neil Diamond Musical A Beautiful Noise. Seated in front of a therapist , the old Neil Diamond, a fine Mark Jacoby, revisits his life. Through flashbacks he returns to Flatbush, Brooklyn where this shy young boy feels the dark clouds of loneliness and estrangement crowd his head. That is until he receives  a guitar and starts to write songs. A carousel of Diamond hits keeps audiences happy. Swenson and the rockin' band conducted by Sonny Paladino hold their own against some timid direction by Michale Mayer and choreography by Steven Hoggett. Generally, Mayer is considered one of the more astute theater directors and Hogget typically delivers without

New York, New York May 23, 2023 -- By age ten, Clive Barnes knew he would be a life-long lover of theater and dance. After consuming mountains of performances, Barnes became dance and theater critic royalty. A fan of upcoming artists, the Clive Barnes Awards were established to honor and provide a bit of financial support ($500) to artists scaling new heights. This year's 13th anniversary celebration took place at Florence Gould Hall guided by the charming theater writer Patrick Pacheco. Dance finalists featured: Victor Abreau/NYC Ballet; Chrisian Burse/Complexions Contemporary Ballet; Devon Louis/Paul Taylor Dance Company; Andrew Robare/American Ballet Theatre. Theater finalists included: Orna Courtney/ & Juliet; Kennedy Kanagawa/Into The Woods; Solea Pfeiffer/Almost Famous. Choreographer Pam Tanowitz presented the award to a delighted Victor Abreau who thanked Diana Byer for her tireless belief in him. Tanowitz closed her remarks by sharing advice delivered by her mentor Vi

New York, New York May 10, 2023 -- Trisha Brown Dance Company has joined the pantheon of troupes with dead founders who are looking to living voices to keep their increasingly more versatilely trained bodies in fresh motion. How today’s artistic directors choose who gets to tack onto their institutional legacies is as particular as the culture of each company. The Graham Company, for instance, risks to invite contemporary choreographers who have not necessarily trained in Martha’s technique to create work in conversation with her vast archive. Interestingly, TBDC Associate Artistic Director Carolyn Lucas opted for a more conservative approach, inviting an alum. Judith Sánchez Ruíz danced under Trisha between 2006 and 2009, just missing the creation of "Rogues" in 2011, the program’s opener. At that time, Ruíz was abroad dancing for Sasha Waltz. Her premiere "Let’s Talk About Bleeding" closed the program outlining an intersection of Ruíz’s embodiment of American po

On May 9, the ornate El Museo del Barrio theater will host two highly anticipated one-act Baroque opera-ballets: Pierre de La Garde's lyrical "Leandre et Hero" and Jean Philippe Rameau's comedic "Io."  Written in the mid 18th century, Catherine Turocy, one of the foremost dancers, choreographers, directors and authorities on the reconstruction of Baroque Dance paused for a few minutes to express her excitement about a project that includes a world premier and contemporary refashioning of two nearly 300 year old operas. CI: Clearly, this project is a breathless undertaking by Opera Lafayette which includes the participation of your historical NY Baroque Dance Company, founded and directed by you and Ann Jacoby, the contemporary Sean Curran Company, Stage Director Nick Olcott, Music Director Avi Stein, Artistic Director Ryan Brown and Costume Designer Machine Dazzle(best known for his design collaborations with cabaret artist Taylor Mac). CI: For people w