May 2018 by ICON Magazine

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MAY

Exclusive Interviews TAYLOR MAC | 22 LISA SIMONE | 24 ART Winter Morn, Janet Dance, oil/canvas, 60x48. Bethlehem House Art Gallery.

5 | Getting to Done 6 |

MORE FILM 28 |

First Reformed A Quiet Place Ready Player One The Rider

EXHIBITIONS I

The Art of the Miniature XXVI The Snow Goose Gallery LUAU on the Farm Artists of Yardley

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James Havard: Talking in Color. PAFA

EXHIBITIONS II

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Bethlehem Fine Art & Craft Show Main Street, Historic Bethlehem

MUSIC

Mayfair Festival of the Arts Cedar Crest College

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PHOTOJOURNALIST

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NIGHTLIFE

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THEATER

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FOODIE FILE

FILM 26 | Tully

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SINGER / SONGWRITER

JAZZ/ ROCK/CLASSICAL/ALT Duo Gazzana Phil Haynes & Free Country Duo Damiana Jared Gold Superchunk

The 18th Annual Arts Alive! Downtown Quakertown, PA 12 |

DOCUMENTARY

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami

Nina Simone Elk City The Claudettes Dulcie Taylor Big Shoes

EXHIBITIONS III

Bucks County Plein Air Festival Bucks County Community College

FOREIGN

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James Havard: Talking in Color PAFA

ON THE COVER: Taylor Mac. Page 22. Photo: Drew Gerace.

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The 2018 Spring Show Bethlehem House Art Gallery

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Lisa Simone.

REEL NEWS The Insult I Kill Giants On the Beach at Night Alone The Post

Sculpture 2018 New Hope Arts 8 |

FILM ROUNDUP

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JAZZ LIBRARY

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POP

Duke Pearson

The Big Kahuna

ETCETERA 41 | 41 | 42 | 43 |

Harper’s Findings Harper’s Index L. A. Times Crossword Agenda

ICON The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, opinion and mad genius Filling the hunger since 1992 215-862-9558

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PUBLISHER

Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com EDITORIAL Publisher & Editor / Trina McKenna Raina Filipiak / Advertising filipiakr@comcast.net PRODUCTION

Richard DeCosta Susan O’Neill Rita Kaplan

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

A. D. Amorosi / divaland@aol.com

Robert Beck / robert@robertbeck.net Jack Byer / jackbyer@verizon.net

Peter Croatto / petecroatto@yahoo.com James P. Delpino / JDelpino@aol.com

Geoff Gehman / geoffgehman@verizon.net Mark Keresman / shemp@hotmail.com

George Miller / gomiller@travelsdujour.com Thom Nickels / thomnickels1@aol.com

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Keith Uhlich / KeithUhlich@gmail.com Tom Wilk / tomwilk@rocketmail.com

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ART ESSAY & PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK

GETTING TO DONE I’M FREQUENTLY ASKED HOW I know when I’m done a painting. “Done” isn’t a distinct moment in my work. Quite often I find out I should have stopped two hours ago, but you wouldn’t know that because you only see the point where I got the message and quit working. When I’m doing it right, I’m hunting for something without knowing what it looks like or where it’s hiding. I get close. It gets away. I find it, or I don’t. The painting is done when I stop searching. I can’t stop just because the image looks nice. I have to take it someplace new for me, try to be more fluent or persuasive than I’ve been before. This while knowing a misstep can’t be entirely reversed. I can wipe down and start again but from a different place on a different path. There is a wealth of discovery to be had if you take the risk of destroying something you feel isn’t as good as it might be. You can guess right, learn a great lesson, and get a more perceptive painting. You can be wrong and learn a different great lesson. And if pushing those edges becomes part of your process you can find yourself skipping out far beyond wearisome repetition into new territory. Some paintings blossom, some blow up. All count. What I’m looking for is satisfaction. I want to surprise myself with one thing that’s on the nose and have nothing in the rest of the painting that compromises it. I might find it in the color, values, composition, drawing, narrative, or even the application of the paint. If I can make the elements work together in concert, then it becomes more than just a static image, and the viewers might respond to what the painting asks of them. There are three tricky elements in this painting: the gesture, the portrait, and the mirror. Mirrors have a sub-set

of visual rules. When you look at something in a mirror you aren’t focusing on the glass, you are focusing on the distance to the glass PLUS the distance to the object reflected in it. If that object is yourself, you are focusing to the mirror and back—twice the distance to the wall it’s on. Making the viewer do that requires a dimension a painter doesn’t have. I instead made the reflected image (the framed prints behind the viewer) bright and sharp, so it advances from the surrounding wall and frame, suggesting a visual jump. The prints don’t appear to be on the same plane as the wall. It must be a mirror. The bartender is the lovely Joanie. I had to either keep her as a loosely defined element or a more developed heart of the painting. Half-way would

kill the image by drawing attention and not delivering. Bright and smiling is hard to paint, but if you know Joanie anything else would be wrong. I’m proudest of the gesture. Nothing afflicts and betrays an artist like lousy anatomy; it’s unforgiving and ruinous. Much of the bartender figure blends into the darkness, but that doesn’t lessen the need for getting the visible parts right. You have to believe what you can’t see. That hand, the dip in the shoulder, and the muscle in the neck, all describe the specific twist in the arm when you pour a martini. There are a thousand ways to get it wrong, and I discovered at least six of them before I was satisfied. Joanie’s eyes are focused precisely where they should be, too. There is more to it, of course, but

it’s stuff I’ve dealt with enough to be confident. It took a couple of stabs to get the brass bar top color right, but it was worth the effort. You can feel the cool metal. Another puzzle was how to depict a colorless drink being poured into a clear glass in a dim room, but I’m no stranger to that. A lot of the painting is unresolved and vaguely indicated, but that helps me keep your attention moving to the things I want you to consider. The three challenging elements were completed about three-quarters of the way through the painting. Then I just had to bring it all into balance. In this case, you could say I was done before I was finished, or vice versa. But I always have to be mindful to the last stroke. As long as I have a brush in my hand, it can go either way. n

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EXHIBITIONS I Artists of Yardley Patterson Farm, 949 Mirror Lake Rd, Yardley, PA artistsofyardley.org Saturday, May 19, 6-10PM Rain or Shine

Paul Eaton (UK), Stepping Out of the Water, bronze, 2 x 4.5 x 1.5”

The Art of the Miniature XXVI The Snow Goose Gallery 470 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-974-9099 thesnowgoosegallery.com May 6-June 10 The Snow Goose Gallery is proud to present its 26th invitational exhibition of fine art miniatures from around the world. More than 400 works by 83 artists from 25 of the United States, as well as Australia, Canada, China, England, Germany, Israel, Romania, South Africa and Wales will be available for sale. Miniature Art is fine art on a small scale. It is time consuming in that they demand rigid control and follow all of the principles of fine art. Most subject matter is portrayed at one-sixth life size or smaller, with the outside framed size at 64 square inches or less. They are the gems of our time, as shown by the increase in gallery sales, and their escalation in value. The entire exhibition will be on the gallery website beginning opening weekend.

Party the night away under a large tent on Patterson Farm in Yardley—Hawaiian-style! Mission BBQ will cater; DJ Tommy J returns to keep the party and dancing lively and our artists have been busy creating and gathering selections for the Live Auction. There are two original Harshita Designs hand-printed silk scarves, a one-of-akind ceramic lamp created by Fran Leyenberger, a wonderful hand-painted single-pedestal side table and matching small bench with upholstered top. Trenton Thunder is providing “A Night at the Ball Park” for 4 including ballpark tour hats, food vouchers and the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Yardley Country Club and Makefield Highlands are offering rounds of golf for four. Bid on a fitness program from Genesis Personal Fitness and a package to rid your home of unwanted guests from Cooper Pest Control. Mercer Kelsey Theater offers two tickets for any one of five performances and you can bid on a stay in a beautiful Treehouse in the artists community of Michigan City, Indiana where you can bring the outside in and enjoy four seasons in all their glory. Hike the woods and dunes on 170 acres, grill & chill on the roof deck or set a fire in the fireplace postwinery visit. Many door prizes. Our Members Art Show and Sale will be displayed in the Center. Wine and drinks included. $500 First Prize CASH RAFFLE. Tickets: $45 pp. Kids under 12 Free. Table of 10 discount. Proceeds help AOY offer art scholarships (and pay the rent). Get your Dinner Tickets today.

Janet Laird, Maine, Seat in the Sun, watercolor, 5.5 x 3.5” 6

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Mare McClellan, Dreaming of Sky #1

LUAU on the Farm

Sculpture 2018- Annual Juried Exhibition New Hope Arts 2 Stockton Ave., New Hope, PA 215-862-9606 Newhopearts.org May 5-June 10 Reception May 5, 5-8 pm New Hope Arts hosts the 17th annual juried exhibition of contemporary works in 3-dimensional media. A spring tradition, Sculpture 2018 displays a selection of more than 50 works carefully chosen from more than 200 individual entries from the region and the nation. Jurors Kirsten M. Jensen, PhD, Emeritus Chief Curator of the Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA and sculptor, Dana Stewart, Stewart Sculpture Casting, Lambertville, NJ curated an exciting showcase for a variety of media and styles. Gallery hours free to the public are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 5 pm through June 10.

John Rodgers, Golden Rule

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EXHIBITIONS II

Porcelain bookends by Mary Coover

Mayfair Festival of the Arts Ward Van Haute, Through the Dancing Poppies, detail, Oil.

The 2018 Spring Show Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery 459 Main St., Bethlehem, PA 610-419-6262 BethlehemHouseGallery.com Through July 7 / Closing reception July 7, 6-9 PM Bethlehem House Gallery specializes in original, innovative art by both emerging and established regional artists. The gallery celebrates spring with the 2018 Spring Show, running through July 7. The refreshed and fully-redecorated space is inviting to art lovers of all ages featuring works by: Ward Van Haute, Marta Whistler, Tina Cantelmi, Janet Dance, Josh Scwartz and Thomas Kelly. Whatever your budget, Bethlehem House Gallery believies that anyone can be an art collector. Hrs: Wed, Thurs 11-7; Fri, Sat 12-9; Sunday 12-5.

Cedar Crest College 100 College Dr., Allentown, PA May 25-May 27, noon-10p.m. 800-360-1222 Cedarcrest.edu/mayfair Dozens of artists showcasing pottery, sculpture, painting, photographywill participate in the indoor and outdoor Artist Market, open each day noon-8 p.m., and the festival grounds until 10 p.m. In addition to art, festival attendees may enjoy a wide variety of food and beverage offerings, Franki’s Fun Zone for kids and live performances from bands including Go Go Gadjet, Jimmy and the Parrots and The Large Flowerheads. Admission and limited on-campus parking are free. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Eileen McNulty

53rd Bethlehem Fine Art & Craft Show Main Street, Historic Downtown Bethlehem, PA Bfac-lv.org May 12, 10am-5pm; May 13, 11am-5pm Over 80 juried artists and craft artisans participate each year in this two-day outdoor event. On Saturday, Professor Anthony Viscardi of Lehigh University, will judge Best of Show, Second Prize, Third Prize and Best Display. Check out Artist in Residence, Cheryl Agulnick Hochberg at work. Children’s art activities will be held on the grounds of Central Moravian Church. Local musicians will perform along the show route. Bethlehem boasts great restaurants, shops, hotels and a rich history. It’s a perfect opportunity for the whole family to enjoy a wonderful experience in Historic Downtown Bethlehem. FREE.

Solar Descent: Catherine Colsher Studio CC

Thomas Kelly, The Flowered Dress, Acrylic 8

Palm Tree: Eclectic Desire

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Mark Poole

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EXHIBITIONS III

J. Stacy Rogers (2017)

Bucks County Plein Air Festival Bucks County Community College 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 215-968-8097 buckscountypleinair.org June 4-9 / Art Sale & Festival Day 6/9, 10-5

James Havard: Talking in Color Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Historic Landmark Building 118-128 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA (215) 972-7600 pafa.org Through May 27 James Havard studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia where he was influenced to paint in a realistic manner reminiscent of Jean-Baptiste-Camille-Corot and Édouard Manet. As a PAFA alumnus, Havard (Cert. ’67, b. 1937) has been making paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures for over five decades. Over the course of his career Havard has moved through various pictorial languages; ranging from realism, trompe l’œil “abstract illusionism,” and mixed media collage to his current figurative work. His exuberant, expressive, process-driven paintings are spirited and deceptively simple. In Talking in Color, a selection of Havard’s current figurative works celebrate his recent return to Philadelphia after several decades spent living in New Mexico. While Havard often uses traditional, earth tones, he includes—in his words “fun colors”—such as Dianthus pink. His choices are intuitively-driven and direct, delivering playful and mysterious open-ended narratives. Today, Havard’s oeuvre can be found in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, among others. 10

Thirty artists will paint in locations around Bucks County from June 4-7, culminating in two signature events at Bucks County Community College: the Tyler Tasting Party on June 8 and the Art Sale & Festival Day on June 9. The festival awards more than $15,000 in prizes and is hosted by Alan Fetterman Fine Arts, Bucks County Community College, and the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce. This year’s awards ceremony will be held during Bucks County Community College’s Tyler Tasting Party, with awards presenter Alasdair Nichol of PBS’s Antiques Roadshow. The Art Sale & Festival Day will feature a juried artists’ quick draw, a public quick draw open to community artists ages 14 and older, food trucks, wine tasting, and live music. The art created during the festival will also be sold online from June 4-8 at buckscountypleinair.org

Patty Voje (2017 )

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Donald Barrett, Blurune Artistry

The 18th Annual Arts Alive! Fine Arts & Craft Event Presented by Quakertown Alive! Downtown Quakertown, PA 215-536-2273 Quakertownalive.com May 19 (Rain date May 20), 10-4 Upper Bucks County’s premier juried art show. Artisans, local businesses, and community organizations will be out along Broad Street from Hellertown Avenue to Fourth Street, to delight and entertain visitors. A wide variety of artisans will be showcased at this year’s event: handcrafted jewelry, pottery, and decorative home items, and fine art. Free trolley rides, children’s activities, a food court, wine-tasting, authors corner, and all-day live entertainment on two stages, including the Mango Men Trio. Quakertown Alive! is grateful to our sponsors: QNB Bank and St. Luke’s Hospital, Raymour & Flanigan Quakertown, Kulp Roofing, New Vitae Wellness and Recovery. Info: quakertownalive.com

Barb Hohenwarter, Loom Room

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A light-mantled sooty albatross looks down on Gold Harbour, South Georgia, Antarctica. Adults take turns incubating eggs while their partner is at sea feeding on krill.

An adult king penguin runs a gauntlet of chicks. The penguins feed their young on krill and fish.

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

An elephant seal arrives to breed. Bulls can weigh over 3,000 kg, and fight each other for females. Winning bulls may breed with up to 100 mates.

Thousands of king penguins line a stream while molting.

South Georgia, Antarctica, is a 160-km-long arc of mountains and glaciers, half covered by snow and ice, half by rock and tundra-like vegetation. A high density of krill (small, protein-rich crustaceans) in the surrounding seas helps make the island a haven for wildlife. Krill form a vital part of the Antarctic food chain but their own food source—phytoplankton growing on the underside of sea ice—is disappearing as ice cover shrinks. ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER As a young boy, Paul Nicklen, a Canadian-born polar specialist and marine biologist, moved to Baffin Island and spent his childhood among the Inuit people. From them he learned the love of nature, the understanding of icy ecosystems, and the survival skills that have helped him to become one of the most successful wildlife and nature photojournalists. As an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine, Nicklen has produced 16 stories covering a variety of issues related to conservation and natural history—from the slaughter of narwhals to salmon farming to the importance of sea ice and polar ecosystems in this new climate era. Despite the personal peril he often faces while working in some of the planet’s most remote and harsh environments, Nicklen travels constantly in search of meaningful stories that can help touch people’s emotions and help the public connect with Earth’s marine and polar realms.

PAUL NICKLEN, Canada Nature, first prize stories / World Press Photo 2010 Commissioned by National Geographic 12

Nicklen has received more than 20 international awards, six of which were from World Press Photo, including the first prize for nature stories in 2010; three with Pictures of the Year International; and ten with BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year including the grand prize awarded to him in 2012. In 2012, the National Resources Defense Council awarded him the first Biogems Visionary Award, and he also received the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from his alma mater, the University of Victoria.

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NIGHTLIFE

MAY

CURATED BY A.D. AMOROSI

5 TODD RUNDGREN & UTOPIA This blue-eyed-soul son of Upper Darby has made his prog-roc nut with this high-minded crew since the latter ’70s. They don’t often play together so this is a rare treat. Tower Theatre; thetowerphilly.com

7 NATALIA LAFOURCADE SILVA The toast of Mexico City, María Natalia Lafourcade Silva is a magical hot wind that blows smart intuitive lyrics across a sensual pop-soul soundscape with her band Natalia y La Forquetina in tow. Theatre of Living Arts; venue.tlaphilly.com

6 JADEN SMITH Will Smith’s son had millions of dollars at his disposal in order to make himself a hop-pop sensation. In-

8 MARIAN HILL The Philly-raised moody electronic duo—a Eurythmics for the 21st Century—add saxophones for a jazzy edge and Apple Air as an advertising account for many big pay offs. Union Transfer; utphilly.com 9 ERIC BURDON The original rock and roll Animal-turned-author starts his latest U.S. tour in Glenside. “Of all the British Invasion singers, Burdon had the most physically imposing voice. When he burst onto the scene

12 MONNETTE SUDLER Only Pat Martino ranks higher and more soulfully when it comes to Philly jazz guitarists. World Cafe Live Philadelphia; worldcafelive.com 13 SIMONE ON SIMONE: LISA SIMONE & THE ROB STONEBACK BIG BAND The swinging-est of the legendary Nina Simone’s daughters haughtily pays a Mother’s Day tribute to the song and the attitude of her multi-genre genius mom. Simone’s got theater chops—on Broadway originating the roles of Aida in Disney’s Aida, Nala

stead, he chose online rap experimentalism for a surprsingy fascinating series of downloads and videos. The Foundry at the Fillmore Philadelphia; thefillmorephilly.com 6 PANDA BEAR With a name such as Panda Bear, how could Noah Benjamin Lennox not be the sweetest sounding co-

in 1964, his voice was big and dark,” said Steve Van Zandt. Good call. Keswick Theatre; keswicktheatre.com 10 DANIELLE NICOLE Founding member, lead singer, and bass player of Kansas City blues-rock band Trampled Under Foot. Mauch Chunk Opera House; mcohjt.org

founding member of the experimental pop band Animal Collective. Union Transfer; utphilly.com 7 LYDIA LUNCH The dark poetic queen of the noisy No Wave movement returns to Philly with a full band. Kung Fu Necktie; kungfunecktie.com

10 MELVINS Kurt Cobain’s first favorite band and primary inspiration keep the ball rolling decades after its start with a new album, Pinkus Abortion Technician, and two bassists. Underground Arts; undergroundarts.com 11, 12 & 18, 19 BACH FESTIVAL Baroque music performed throughout Bethlehem to celebrate the 111th Bach Festival: Goldberg Variations, Fifth Brandenburg Concerto, Third Cello Suite in C Major, and more. Bach Choir; bach.org

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in The Lion King and Mimi Marquez in RENT, so watch for that drama to unfold with Lehigh Valley musicians behind her. Bethlehem Steelstacks; steelstacks.org [Exclusive interview with Lisa Simone in this issue.] 17 WILLIAM SHATNER – WRATH OF KHAN Hearing Shatner talk or sing or whatever it is he’ll choose to do is always a must-see. And as he gets older he’s got less to lose. Academy of Music; academyofmusic.org

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17 LOW CUT CONNIE Low Cut Connie’s wiggly frontman, Adam Weiner, has been a busy guy as of late, contributing as he is to Dean Ween’s new album ROC2 and its doe-eyed ballad “Don’t Let the Moon Catch You Crying.” All this is but an appetizer to the hearty main meal of Connie’s raunchy new album, Dirty Pictures 2, and

sion guitarist for Broadway’s “Kinky Boots”) and Alan Camlet on drums. They’ll remind you how much you miss The Police. Mauch Chunk Opera House; mcohjt.org

19 HANNIBAL BURRESS

19 PINK MARTINI Their camp and bubbly orchestra tour on the back of the giddiest album yet—the Francophile dream-

All eyes here (and not on the courts of Norristown) as Burress is the real force of nature that brought down Bill Cosby. Kimmel Center; kimmelcenter.org

a Union Transfer release party. Union Transfer; utphilly.com 17 RENAISSANCE Annie Haslam’s band of gentle prog giants still hit the high notes (her five octave range is intact) and still make theatrical hay of Michael Dunford’s compositions. Expect a small local orchestra to join them for a symphonic trip. Bethlehem Steelstacks; steelstacks.org 19 NYF Featuring Mark Rinzel (“Jessie’s Girl”) —one of the few humans who can play bass and sing like ’70s era Sting—New York’s Finest boasts Oscar Bautista (ses-

scape of Je dis oui! Keswick Theater; keswicktheatre.com 19 MIGOS Cardi B’s boyfriend Quavo has his own jams to work out with his weird rapping pals from Atlanta. Festival Pier; festivalpierphilly.com 19 JAY LENO I can’t ever remember digging Leno as a Tonight Show host. Now that he doesn’t have to make milquetoast fare of the day’s events he’s actually got a bite and a thought process to his humor. Academy of Music; academyofmusic.org

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19 HOP ALONG Philly’s Frances Quinlan’s femme-fronted Hop Along drop Bark Your Head Off, Dog and show Expressionist indie rockers who is boss. Union Transfer; utphilly.com 21 ANDREW WK Rocker-turned-Ted-Talk-lecturer does something in between the two poles with his new album You're Not Alone. Union Transfer; utphilly.com 23 SPYRO GYRA At turns boring and buoyant, these guys (40+ years ago) damn near invented the soft jazz groove. My verdict is not in and my mind is open. Amaze me. Steelstacks; steelstacks.org n

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THEATER VALLEY

CITY

Saint Joan. My weeklong feast of powerful political plays began at Lafayette College, where four actors from Bedlam committed controlled creative chaos on Shaw’s seminar on a church-and-state crisis launched by a female French teen soldier divinely inspired to conquer the English and crown a king. The New York performers mixed whiplash changes of character with surprising comic twists and startlingly unusual settings. The inquisition scene was spellbinding, with questions, accusations and predictions fired from the distant dark at Joan, who stood on a chair on a table in a very lonely spotlight. Aundria Brown was terrifically magnetic as “God’s maid,” nimbly toeing the tightrope of ecstatic innocence, searing shock and radiant resignation. Aubie Merrylees delivered Warwick’s epic monologue on ethical justice with careful flair. Kahlil Garcia and Sam Massaro threw sparks and spears as military, religious and royal leaders. Thanks to three very different arrangements of onstage spectators, an often boring lecture became an often exciting experience. Glory. Joan of Arc won the battle and lost the war again in Muhlenberg College’s production of Holly Cate’s outrageously entertaining, outrageous new adaptation of Shakespeare’s plays about England’s glorious, gory foreign and civil wars. She invented eight clowns who debated the confusing identities of royal houses and Henrys. She intensified pre-death scenes with comic and erotic moves and animated sword and fist fights with a quirky soundtrack of such hit songs as “Gimme Shelter.” Most importantly, she gave major male roles to women, turning ladies into Lady Macbeth’s kin. Lauren McGinty’s Warwick was delightfully cocky, Sophie Pulver’s Margaret appealingly sly, and Emily Bonaria’s Eleanor compellingly victorious and heartbreakingly defeated. Troy Dwyer, the only teacher in the cast, cast Cardinal Winchester with Christopher Lee’s dark campy humor. Scenic designer Susan Zeeman Rogers contributed an artfully versatile gazebo that became a giant thorny crown and a bony cage. Hamlet. Bedlam’s Saint Joan performers continued their Lafayette residency with a thrillingly smart, chillingly visceral version of the rarely staged long version of Shakespeare’s masterful mousetraps set by a master puppet master. Once again, they excelled at quickly switching postures, gestures and accents. Once again, familiar scenes were uncannily reconfigured. Hamlet delivered his “What is a man?” speech with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz on his knees like the puppets they are. The sword-and-poison-cup climax unfolded with onstage spectators sitting precariously close, while the final speeches were spoken by corpses, elevating them from dull to intriguing. Aubie Merrylees’ Hamlet was an emotional volcano and a theatrical weathervane, armed with a scarecrow’s jerkiness and a dog’s wonder. Kahlil Garcia transformed the often underrated Polonius into a searching, snappy scholar. Sam Massaro made the often overlooked Claudius a nicer stepfather and a nastier enemy. Aundria Brown blossomed as the often wallflowerish Ophelia, deftly suggesting dread by simply flicking her dreadlocks over her face. Dictators 4 Dummies. Christopher Shorr’s insanely funny, wickedly wise satirical musical, premiered by Touchstone Theatre, tracks two deposed despots who resume their Las Vegas act to raise money for a Tyrants of Tomorrow telethon. The dictators were played with disarmingly charming cheesiness by Shorr, who used a greasy Italian spaghetti house accent, and Jp Jordan, who channeled Fidel Castro and Che Guevara with a booming, trombone-grinding personality. Mary Wright animated a procession of guest tyrants—Stalin, Gaddafi, Mussolini—with precise merry mayhem. Emma Ackerman changed from oppressed production assistant to offstage tyrant killer with winking glee. Add catchy songs and catchy slogans (“When people are off balance, they go where you push them”) and Dictators 4 Dummies deserves to visit regional and Off-Broadway houses. n — GEOFF GEHMAN 18

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Catch-22. Curio Theatre Company presents the stage adaptation of Joseph Heller’s satirical WWII novel. Published in 1961, Heller’s (somewhat) overrated novel caused The New Yorker to remark: “[The novel] doesn’t even seem to be written, instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper.” Heller, who worked in military intelligence, never saw battle—unlike Kurt Vonnegut, whose book Slaughterhouse Five remains the quintessential WWII classic. We can still look forward to seeing how Director Claire Moyer spins Heller’s tale. 4740 Baltimore Ave. (215921-8243) Until May 19, 2018. Fun Home. The Arden showcases playwright Lisa Kron’s musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel memoir about the not-so-funny story of Bechdel’s closeted gay father who committed suicide in 1980 a few months before Alison came out as a lesbian. Fun Home was awarded a 2015 Tony for Best Musical, a supreme tribute to Bechdel’s writing which has always been noted for its wry humor and erudition. Bechdel’s comics used to be relegated to the back pages of gay newspapers, but now she’s right up there with Ellen. Until June 24, 2018 Tell Me On A Sunday. A beautiful young woman (Julia Udine) moves to Manhattan from the UK in search of romance and fame. She finds love in the city that never sleeps, but the love she finds never lasts for long. Although she learns to sing the blues away (the music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber) that doesn’t keep more bad love experiences from heading her way. After multiple romantic shipwrecks her heart hardens and cynicism causes her to pick up a whip and become a Manhattan dominatrix, but even this fails to satisfy her. Udine is captivating as The Girl and a good cabaret singer as well—it’s easy to envision Tell Me as the perfect cabaret dinner experience—although a few of Udine’s notes seemed overly strident and brassy (but that’s Broadway for you). At the post show reception Julia told me that she’s enjoying staying with her parents in South Jersey during the run of the show at The Walnut. “They cook me a lot of spaghetti and meatballs,” she said. After Tell Me, she’s due to take the lead in a big Leonard Bernstein tribute in Saratoga, New York. Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard told me that the Walnut is planning an exciting expansion and to stay tuned. Till June 10, 2018. Magdalene. Colleen Hughes of Tribe of Fools delivered a stellar performance as Mary Magdalene in a monologue that spans the centuries. This clever script, created by Rachel Gluck, Brenna Geffers and Colleen Hughes, was a review of the (often secondary) role of women from the time of Christ to the countercultural 1960s. Hughes, trained in New York’s Stella Adler Studio of Acting, is a natural born storyteller. Her empathetic delivery was enough to make this reviewer forget the work’s theological sinkholes. It was fun to hear Magdalene talk about her time with the apostles while the group chugged wine and danced together in Jerusalem. This fast moving, compelling and intense performance at the Adrienne Theater was not very well attended but Hughes, undaunted, performed as if she was on stage before hundreds at the Kimmel. Fly Eagles Fly. This comedy about frenzied football fans will be a 2018 Fringe offering. Wise psychologists write that sports fans should not see their teams as extensions of themselves. As a writer for the Miami Times once wrote,” [Football] players are only in the city because they got a job there, based on how well they can do a thing, and the zeros in a franchise’s bank account.” At the Louis Bluver Theater at the Drake. September 7-22, 2018. n — THOM NICKELS

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FOODIE FILE BY A.D. AMOROSI

Wagyu and Shortrib. Marigold Kitchen. Photo: Dallyn Pavey/Dish PR

THE PARLOR AS AN ART FORM

Irish Cannoli. Marigold Kitchen. Photo: Dallyn Pavey/Dish PR

Compressed Chicken Thighs, Agrodolce Sauce, English Pea Couscous, Charred Pearl Onions Filled with Ramp Oil at Marigold Kitchen, Phila PA - Photo ©Reese Amorosi

Pork Rillette. Photo: Dallyn Pavey/Dish PR 20

THE ALLURE OF A restaurant or an arts space done up as—or built into—a living room has endless appeal. Notions of cozy comfort, hands-on sensuality and familial proximity (to say nothing of home cooking) are but a few of the special sensations of the parlor as a framework for good eating. When servers of West Philly’s Marigold Kitchen move through the intimate confines of this former Victorian home on South 45th Street, there is a sense of determination and importance yet relaxed and homey, as if chatting with your brother or sister about what’s on the stove. Beyond the comfortability factor, though, is Marigold’s sensory-titillating, ten-dish tasting of avant-garde eleganza; something that with each bite of zesty Compressed Chicken Thigh (seared and placed atop a cloud of aerated polenta, English pea couscous and charred pearl onions filled with ramp oil and an agrodolce) and sprightly rhubarb/celery/almond salad makes you yearn for whatever’s next. For chef-partner Andrew Kochan and his culinary comrade Tim Lanza, each morsel is an adventure. It’s difficult to focus, though, as everything’s as tasty as it is daring, like Kochan and Marigold exec chef Keith Krajewski’s chicken and rhubarb dishes, both with a handsome “New American” snap, and you’re tasting TALK, at 2121 Walnut. An acronym for Tim Andrew Lanza Kochan, the Rittenhouse-area restaurant and bar was meant to be, according to Kochan, something like the inverse of Marigold. “Marigold is a BYOB that focuses its attention solely on food, while TALK is primarily a high-end bar that serves fantastic food,” says Kochan of the key to understanding their decision to move into Rittenhouse. “I wanted a place that could serve serious cocktails and feed the kind of clientele that would flock to a cocktail-forward bar.” Along with some holdovers from Marigold’s menu, TALK will feature items such as Carrots Beignet, with crème fraîche and duck fat (baby carrots slowly roasted in duck fat and transformed into fluffy beignets paired with house-made crème fraîche), Lamb Merguez sausage wontons with mint, Holden Raisins and pignoli (tossed in beurre monté and mint oil, garnished with golden raisins and candied pine nuts), and Scallops with summer corn succotash, braised shiitake mushrooms, huitlacoche, cilantro and watercress. As for the design of TALK, think dark, intimate 20th century hotel salon—a home away, with black hardwood floors and white marble bars. “The goal was to mimic the NoMad Hotel in New York, as much as could be done in a single-room restaurant,” says Kochan. “With the entire spectrum of Art Deco in mind, I went forward with plans to design the space myself as much as possible. I did a good job of working with an architect/engineer to design the layout how I wanted it, and hired a team to sort through the nitty-gritty of interior design. At any rate, the TALK space is beautiful.” See for yourself in June. As for another new space that utilizes the living room, there’s no better than a live venue/coffee house such as Philadelphia rocker, singer, and songwriter Laura Mann’s recently opened BYOB, The Living Room at 35 East. Located several doors from the Ardmore Music Hall (originally called 23 East, the legendary stomping grounds of the Hooters) both locations are part of Ardmore’s new main drag that includes eateries such as The Bercy, Pala’s Latin American and Iron Hill Brewery to go with Mann’s own Living Room. “Ardmore is creating its own vibe with great new restaurants and live entertainment throughout the week. It’s nice to see.” Mann is adding to both the area’s newfound cool and a Philadelphia entertainment scene where midsize venues like Fillmore and Union Transfer thrived, but where smaller rooms are lacking—Dobbs or Khyber or Tin Angel—the likes of which she frequented when she began playing out in the 1980s. “The Living Room is a project for me to showcase some of the amazing talent that is out there now, which includes the many talented friends that I have come to meet and get to know over the years.” Mann started her career playing alongside South Street musicians such as the late Robert Hazard. She even formed her first ensemble long before he came to write hits such as “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” “From there, I shared the stage with some greats such as Warren Zevon, Al Stewart, Dave Mason, and Bobby Caldwell at the Chestnut Cabaret, and even the 23 East Cabaret down the street.” Now Mann is working with her husband, a partner in the 35 East construction project, and is loving the casual decor and full interior design aspects of the gig. “I’m always renovating something. I drive my husband nuts really. When it comes to the big labor I’m more of a great pointer,” she says. “But then again, I’ve been involved with this project from tearing down the ceiling, painting, lugging around lumber; I’m a regular at Lowe’s and Home Depot now.” n

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INTERVIEW BY A.D. AMOROSI

Taylor Mac The 24-hour party person WHEN DRAG-BASED TAYLOR Mac imposes the epic, live theater showcase A 24-Decade History of Popular Music onto 2018’s Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) at the Kimmel Center, the two-part event (“1776-1896,” Saturday, June 2, noon to midnight; “1896-Present,” Saturday, June 9, noon to midnight) is far and beyond the bravest and boldest work the performance artist has executed. That’s saying something. A Wagnerian “Ring Cycle for the 21st Century,” the Dos Passos-ish musical piece considers the victo-

“

I DO WANT THE FOOL TO BE IN THE COURT. THAT’S

THE DEAL. THE FOOL USED TO GET NEAREST THE POWER SOURCE, THEN CRITIQUE THE POWER SOURCE, SAY THE KING. THAT WAS THE JOB OF THE FOOL. THEN IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES, THE FOOL GOT REDUCED TO THE GUTTER AND THE BASEMENT BAR…I LOVE BEING IN THE COURT CRITIQUING WHERE WE ARE AND THE POWERS THAT BE.

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ries, failures and overall dysfunctions of Americans in their particular communities coming together (or falling apart) to right wrongs or cure ills. Some 24 musicians and over 100 local performers, including burlesque performers, a choir, a marching band, knitters, and acrobats—with the audience an interactive and immersive part of the action— join Mac on the popular song-filled journey. Fans of this New York City-based recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant won’t be surprised by Mac’s big, smart, colorful 24-Decade circus. Mac has been at this Technicolor theater game since the dawn of early politicized plays such as The Hot Month, The Levee, The Face of Liberalism, and of course, into the more recent Comparison Is Violence, or the Ziggy Stardust Meets Tiny Tim Songbook, and the new camp classic, The Lily’s Revenge. The “ever the fool” (Mac’s words) theater artist chatted with an open mind and heart from 22

his NYC home base about all levels of extravaganza, 24-Decade and otherwise. You’ve said, “I’m a fool in the ancient sense.” Why do you say that? Obvious—you’re not born into this world thinking you can be a fool. I believe that early on I started to define myself like that. I was a little bit interested in the lineage of theater even more so than the drag lineage. The Greeks and the Elizabethans and the Commedia dell’arte—so much of what I do comes from there. Having seen Bill Irwin and David Shiner do their show Full Moon 40 times, all their stage stuff mirrors the classics; that was a huge influence. When I was bringing my show into clubs and seeing other drag queens bringing theirs, there was such a blend of traditions. Drag queens now are the modern day fools. What came first for you, performance art or drag? Or is there no separation? The lines are not so cut and dry. You form an idea because you’re forming an idea, and it’s all situational. I’m up there for 24 hours and let’s say I have an audience all bite an apple at the same time. Could you call that performance art? But if you bring that into theater—then what is that? I think that I tend to mix it all up. I don’t even know if I believe that performance art exists, though there are five million academics that might argue otherwise and shout me to my grave. I only think that academics call it “performance” because they don’t like [to call it] theater. My point is that theater is whatever you make it. I mean the interactive work that I do with the audience is more like live sculpture than anything else. An audience eating an apple or throwing ping pong balls is really a visual art piece as much as it is theater. I’m a pastiche artist who just smushes everything together. You’re the big mash up. That said, you’ve created a body of work that encompasses art rather than entertainment. Now these aren’t mutually exclusive relationships, but you’ve created something more highbrow than lowbrow. Are you comfortable being more Carnegie Hall than the Pyramid Club?

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That goes back to your fool question. I do want the fool to be in the court. That’s the deal. The fool used to get nearest the power source, then critique the power source, say the king. That was the job of the fool. Then in the 19th and 20th centuries, the fool got reduced to the gutter and the basement bar. Now, I love performing in basement bars, but I don’t want to do just that. I love being in the court critiquing where we are and the powers that be. As a modern fool, that’s the direction I’m heading. So, I want to do what I do for Carnegie Hall, but not change what I do for Carnegie Hall. Look, I’m an entertainer who loves to make people laugh. That’s my artistry and my joy. But if I’m not doing more than that, I’m not living up to my full range as a theater artist. It’s about heterogeneity. It’s about the diversity of intellectual pursuits as well as a series of fart jokes. Did “24 Decades” start more as a writing process or an improvisational stage process? I’m a writer first and content dictates the form, so what I want to say and what the community needs right now is what I try to explore first on the page. Maybe a topic that is being ignored or maybe something I’m afraid to deal with leads the conversation. Sometimes I’ll ask what is the one thing that I don’t want the audience to know about me, and make a show about that. Maybe someone will relate to that. Then again, even when I write, then perform it, I never freeze anything so I’m always rewriting based on the performing, so that, too, is fluid. Twenty percent of the 24-hour show that I do is improvisational changing every night. Other than the songs which dictate themselves by era, did you build “24 Decades” the same way you did your other theater pieces? Every performance is something of a rehearsal and vice versa. My music director and the band works apart from me. They usually don’t hear everything that I’m doing or going to say until

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INTERVIEW BY GEOFF GEHMAN

What’s Happening, Miss Simone? LISA SIMONE COMES TO BETHLEHEM TO SING AND SPEAK ABOUT TWO TRIBUTES TO HER LATE MOTHER NINA, A SINGULAR SENSATION

ISA SIMONE IS A singer, a songwriter, a producer, a veteran of the Air Force and Broadway, and a reckoning force. She’s also the only child of the late Nina Simone, a pianist, a singer, a songwriter, a producer, a justice warrior, a brand-new member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and one of the most thrilling, chilling, perplexing legends of any era. In 2008, five years after Nina died at age 69, Lisa released Simone on Simone (Koch), an album of vivid, vital versions of songs her mother made her own. Ac-

cian; why Nina thought her daughter was a much better singer, and how songs can be loved ones. What was the first song your mother sang that stuck with, and to, you? I would have to say the lullaby she sang to me that I have in turn sung to my own kids. As far as a song she recorded, I’d say “Turning Point,” from her Silk & Soul album [1967]. It’s just Mom and a cello; she recorded it when she was still bringing some of her classical music training to the public. Mom is a little white girl

What techniques and tricks did you up pick up from performing in musicals that you folded into your career? I learned to be an all-around entertainer, to engage an audience, to respect my voice, to respect the stage. These days, when I’m traveling to five to six cities in five to six days and doing a 90-minute show every night, things may get a little overwhelming. Because of my experience with musicals, I know how to use technique to deliver correctly and to keep my stress levels down.

ONE SONG I WRESTLED WITH WAS “FEELING GOOD.” I DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT, MAINLY BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS DONE IT AND BECAUSE IT’S SO STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH MY MOTHER. WHEN I RECORDED IT I DECIDED TO MAKE MYSELF AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE, SO I WENT INTO THE VOCAL BOOTH WITH A CANDLE AND MY DOG. companied by a big band led by Rob Stoneback, the esteemed Lehigh Valley trombonist, Lisa torched up “Keeper of the Flame,” strutted through “Feeling Good,” and shadow boxed “Go to Hell.” The CD doubled as a Nina homage and a coming-out party for Lisa, who was elevating a solo career after leading roles in the musicals Rent, The Lion King and Aida. Today, she’s renowned around the world as a magnetic word painter, storyteller and actor. On May 13, at the Musikfest Café in Bethlehem, Simone and Stoneback’s big band will perform a rare live rendition of Simone on Simone. The date marks the 10th anniversary of the record’s release; it also happens to be Mother’s Day. Lisa, a mother herself, will make the day even more maternal by answering questions before the show, after a screening of the 2015 documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, a probing, panoramic portrait of Nina that Lisa executive produced with her husband, Robert Kelly. Directed by Liz Garbus, whose other subjects include Islamic terrorists and Marilyn Monroe, the film is driven by Nina’s remarkably candid speaking voice as well as Lisa’s remarkably balanced memories of a mother who was brilliant, neglectful, caring, abusive, wise and utterly original. This motherhood constellation twinkled during a recent phone conversation from Lisa’s home in Carryle-Rouet, France, which she inherited from her mother and where she first watched What Happened, Miss Simone? We discussed her mission to complete her mom’s mission to be remembered as a classical musi24

singing to her mother about a first-grade friend she wants to come over to their house: “See the little brown girl/She’s as old as me/She looks like chocolate/Oh mummy, can’t you see?” She wants to play dolls with the little girl—”We could have so much fun, mum”—and then the song ends with her saying: “Why not? Oh, why not? Oh…I see.” Clearly, the mother tells her that white and black children can’t mix outside school. And that’s where racism is born, in that moment. I used to sing “Turning Point” to my god sisters, the daughters of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz; they asked me to sing it to them. What techniques and tricks did you pick up from serving the Air Force that you folded into your career? I was 18 when I joined the Air Force; I was still learning to find my approach to life. In the military I learned to speak a certain way, to behave a certain way, to have confidence in myself, to take charge, to not walk away, to walk to the other side, to be a professional. I also learned to be on time. I definitely use a 24hour clock. I’m a Virgo, so I already have those sharp edges [laughs]. I expect my bandmates to be on time and dress sharply. I tell them I expect some coordination, some synchronicity, that this is not a patchwork quilt.

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One of my favorite performers, if you can believe it, is Barbra Streisand. When she was doing musical theater she was more interested in being an actor. When I was doing musical theater I was more interested in being a singer. What was happening in your career and life in 2008 that made you want to, or need to, release an album of numbers associated with your mom? That was not my dream. I took it for granted that I would break out with an album of my own songs. My managers at the time were trying to figure out a genre of music that wouldn’t limit me as far as my age and being female and all that. They were the ones who suggested an album of my mother’s songs. I got as many Nina Simone albums as I could find in my collection and went to Rob Stoneback’s home, retired to his living room, put on the albums, and listened to them with a glass of wine. I kept saying: “Oh, I forgot about this one!” “Oh, I love this one!” “Oh, I forgot how much I love this one!” Within 45 minutes we had picked all the songs. From that point on I decided to put two feet in and enjoy the ride. Is there a number that you struggled to put on “Simone on Simone” and then struggled to put into your

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FILM BY PETE CROATTO

Tully TARTLY FUNNY AND CEASELESSLY honest, Tully, the latest effort from screenwriter Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman (Young Adult), is about the exhaustion of playing the role of a parent. You’re no longer a man, but “dad.” You’re no longer a woman, but “mom.” You’re increasingly addressed in a way where it’s hard to tell if you’re the child or the adult. Early in the film, Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of three including a newborn, chips away at the decorum during a visit with the principal. The latter sounds like a host for a PBS pledge drive: Marlo’s son is “quirky”; her family is important to us. Marlo demands a straight answer. The kid is not a pocket watch, she says, just tell me what the problem is. The desperation runs so deep that she explodes in profanity. Tully is educational in a way that shook my core. Like all parents, Marlo had a life before children, one that informed who she is now. But she can only show one side at a time, and it must be presentable. Mothers are expected to rise to the occasion as if giving birth imbues them with maternal knowledge and self-confidence. Mothers, I believe, care deeper, putting them at constant, enervating disadvantage. It’s the hardest job imaginable. Marlo’s life has also become a never-ending spinning centrifuge of late-night diaper changes, pumping, and abbreviated naps. Desperate, she finally calls in her well-off brother’s baby gift, a night nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis, Blade Runner 2049). The much-younger Tully is spirited and kooky. She dresses like an Upper West Side bohemian from the early 2000s—short t-shirts, stockings under jean shorts. But she’s eerily calm, and a godsend. Marlo finally gets some sleep; Tully eradicates the food stains from the floor and bakes cupcakes for school. As Marlo 26

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thrives, the two women’s relationship blossoms. The nighttime encounters take on an immense intimacy. Each one is trying to steer the other past the rough waters in their life—Marlo’s wobbly confidence; Tully’s need for absolute honesty—but once they’re through that storm, what happens? The baby will eventually sleep through the night. Reitman and Cody handle that situation with a tender adroitness aided by the ease Davis and Theron possess, which turns Tully into a story of two souls finding comfort. I find myself consistently surprised at the quiet intensity of Theron, who was so good in Young Adult. Yes, Theron put on 50 pounds here and has that memorable meltdown in the principal’s office, but the non-bellicose scenes resonate: the flat expression after delivering her third child; Marlo’s forlorn look as her old, untethered Brooklyn roommate heads off on a motorcycle as she sits, massively pregnant, finishing a muffin. Those cries for help portray Marlo’s heartache: there is no one she can talk to. For those wondering if there’s a dullard husband in the midst, Drew (Ron Livingston) is a good, straightforward man stuck at a demanding job. He does what he can, but Marlo’s pain comes from a place that words and deeds can’t eradicate. Even Tully, played by Davis with a bubbly energy, serves to “bridge a gap.” The beautiful part about Tully is the accents are rousing solos. In life, there are no happy endings only a series of happy clearings before the next crisis pops up. Marriage, kids, finding a friend only bridge the gap. In the final scene, Marlo stands before the kitchen counter making the kids’ lunches. Drew sidles next to her, grabs an ear bud, and lends a hand. Their backs face the camera. They’re looking ahead. Together. [R] n

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FILM ROUNDUP

John Krasinsky in A Quiet Place.

BY KEITH UHLICH

First Reformed (Dir. Paul Schrader). Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles. A priest at a crossroads, an artist at an apex. Writer-director Paul Schrader’s tale of an upstate New York cleric (Ethan Hawke) who ministers to a suicidal environmentalist (Philip Ettinger) and then takes up both the man’s cause and his wife (Amanda Seyfried) is career-best work for all involved. Schrader’s touchstones are obvious: the cinema of Robert Bresson, Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Carl Th. Dreyer, Yasujiro Ozu, many of whom he analyzed in his seminal 1972 book Transcendental Style in Film. But he never once seems slave to these predecessors, instead transmuting their influence into something breathtakingly unique—a strangely perfect harmony between filmmaking and film criticism, and one very attuned to our precarious present moment. At the center of it all is a neverbetter Hawke, his character a sublime distillation/crystallization of a frequent Schrader protagonist, the ascetic lone wolf redeemed by love…at least in his own tortured mind. [R] HHHHH A Quiet Place (Dir. John Krasinski). Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds. Silence is golden, 28

especially in a world in which spindly, speedy and ravenous alien creatures are ready to pounce on you after the slightest spike in volume. Former Officestar John Krasinski does a competent job helming this brisk 90-minute thriller about a father (Krasinski), mother (reallife Mrs. Krasinski, Emily Blunt) and their two (formerly three) children (Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) coping in the extra-terrestrial-invaded postapocalypse. Most of the action takes place at a soundproofed farmhouse where Blunt’s character is preparing to have a child, ostensibly to replace the one who is unceremoniously offed in a pre-credits sequence. Why bring a new life into a world like this? That’s the least of the story’s innumerable logic leaps, which Krasinski never entirely counters via the filmmaking. The cowriter-director is so blinded by the potential of his narrative hook (speak and literally die!) that you can see the seams showing in almost every suspense sequence. At least the film doesn’t wear out its welcome, and the fist-pumping final moment is, it must be admitted, pretty durn awesome. [PG-13] HHH Ready Player One (Dir. Steven Spielberg). Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia

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Cooke, Mark Rylance. Here’s another kind of post-apocalypse: A world in which the pop-culture obsessed 1980s never died but became the historical gold-standard. What better filmmaker than Steven Spielberg to grapple with the implications of such an existence? Bespectacled introvert Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) escapes from his decrepit trailer park existence into the virtual world known as the Oasis. There he inhabits a sleekly handsome avatar named Parzival and becomes one among many searching for the literal keys to the kingdom, which have been left behind by the Oasis’s goofily unsociable creator (Mark Rylance). Ernest Cline’s very popular yet much-derided novel (the author cowrote the screenplay with Zak Penn) benefits from the Spielberg touch, its dubious aspects—such as Wade’s semicreepy obsession with the comely heroine Art3mis (Olivia Cooke)—subsumed by the propulsiveness of the quest and the easy chemistry the director elicits from his ensemble. It also helps that no one can stage action sequences quite like Spielberg, and there are several doozies here, from a car chase through an always-transmogrifying Manhattan (with King Kong as the final boss) to a challenge that takes place within a cer-

tain Stanley Kubrick film that giddily proves to be all work and no play for our heroes. [PG-13] HHHH1/2 The Rider (Dir. Chloé Zhao). Starring: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau. Independent filmmaker Chloé Zhao (Songs My Brother Taught Me) travels deep into the American heartland with this lightly fictionalized feature about a South Dakota cowboy reconsidering his life after a near-fatal injury. Brady Jandreau, an actual rodeo rider, and his family play slightly skewed versions of themselves, and if there’s a bit of awkwardness to their performances it’s more than mitigated by Zhao’s cleareyed and compassionate approach to her characters’ day-to-day existence. (It’s especially wonderful basking in the movingly natural rapport between Brady and his disabled sister Lilly.) There are many gorgeous and poetic landscape shots that connect the film to the countless American westerns that have preceded it, though some of the best scenes take place in a rehab facility where Brady and his rodeo colleague Lane Scott (crippled in a car accident) find a strong measure of hope, through friendship, in their mutually imperfect circumstances. [R] HHH1/2 n

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REEL NEWS

On the Beach at Night Alone

DVDS REVIEWED BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER

The Insult HHHH Cast: Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha Drama/Rated R Awards: Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. In Arabic with English subtitles. Like an IED, political, religious, and cultural animosities in Lebanon simmer barely concealed until a tripwire emotion triggers an eruption with far-reaching consequences. Yasser (El Basha), a foreman of a work crew in Beirut, shows up to repair a leaky drain pipe on Tony’s (Karam) balcony, but Tony slams the door in his face. When Yasser fixes the pipe anyway, Tony goes berserk. Insults turn into punches. Turns out Tony is a right-wing Christian activist and Yasser is a Palestinian Muslim refuge. Even though Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990, the battle rages on in attitudes, prejudices, and daily personal interactions. Oversized and long-bruised egos prevent a simple apology, and the grievance ends up in court. The trivial dispute escalates into a nationwide conflagration. This powerful story unfolds on two levels. On a universal societal context, prejudice and racial hatred lie buried in every country and can erupt into violence. On a personal level, the story doesn’t stop at the men’s irrational actions, but digs deep into the past hurts and un30

conscionable wrongs both experienced that shape their present attitudes and beliefs. In truth, neither is innocent, and both are victims of far more than their own misdeeds. I Kill Giants HHHH Cast: Madison Wolfe, Zoe Saldana Drama, fantasy/Not rated This troubled-tween saga takes an unsuspected twist on the fantasy and superhero movies that are all the rage at the box office. Barbara (Wolfe), an outcast 12-year-old, believes giant sea monsters are threatening her small community on the east coast. For strength and protection, she dons bunny ears, her spiritual totem animal, and sets out to vanquish the evil titans with sparkly amulets and gummy-bear monster traps. She faces down the ridicule of school bullies, baffles her sympathetic school counselor, and confounds her older sister who desperately tries to parent her. The plot gradually reveals the emotional demons that threaten Barbara and why she would rather be alone and ostracized than to submit to the internal, external, and imaginary forces attempting to conquer her spirit. Against all odds, the young girl’s fantasies empower her to survive, but not necessary resolve, the traumatic realities of her unforgiving world.

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On the Beach at Night Alone HHHH Cast: Kim Min-hee, Young-hwa Seo Drama/Not rated. Korean, German, English w/subtitles. Inspired by the director’s (Hong Sang-soo) actual marriage-busting affair with the lead actress (Kim Minhee), this autobiographical metaphor traces the scandalous aftereffects of a fictional actress, Young-hee, traumatized by an affair with a married director. She flees to Germany, where half of the story takes place. It’s a time of loneliness, long walking-talking scenes with her few friends, and contemplation of the emotional costs and rewards of love. In the healing process, Young-hee plumbs the depths of her spirit and finally resolves to repair and reclaim her life. The metamorphosed introvert returns to South Korea and a lifestyle centered on partying instead of introspection. Through a series of culinary extravaganzas and alcoholic-induced expositions, this intense character study by the internationally renowned actress and director explores the passion and joy, pain and regret, and wounds and healing that define intimate relationships. The Post HHHHH Cast: Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep Drama/PG-13

Awards: Oscar nominated Best Picture, Best Actress. The current assault on both the print media by internet news, and the importance of truth-in-reporting by politicians makes today seem like 1971 all over again. Except in that distant era of professional integrity and investigative journalism, government lies and shenanigans were actually revealed and condemned, and heads rolled. In The Post, like the proverbial sports movie, we know the ending— it’s the tension, moral dilemmas, and personal courage that power the story, as well as the actors that portray the conflicted characters driven to make career-breaking, life-changing, historydefining decisions. Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) illegally acquires a confidential copy of the Pentagon Papers. The report clearly reveals that Washington lied about the Vietnam War for a decade, costing thousands of American lives. Kate Graham (Streep), the newspaper owner, must decide whether or not to publish and risk massive litigation, jail time, and loss of the family-run newspaper. In this case, courage prevailed and the truth won out. The implied question is what would be the outcome today when corporate and political masters of manipulation control what news is spoon-fed to the public? n

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FOREIGN

DOCUMENTARY

BY MARK KERESMAN

1945 (Hungary, 2017) It’s 1945, WWII has ended, and a train pulls into a rural village in Hungary, emitting plumes of smoke and noise and bringing with it mysterious—two Orthodox Jews, an old man and his grown son. As with many central European towns during the war years, the Jewish population was “relocated” by Nazi Germany, many to never return. The villagers are suspicious of the Jews and wonder why they’re coming back. Some countries and towns were more “cooperative” with the Nazis than others when it came to the disenfranchisement of their Jewish populations. This was one of those towns. Their presence, therefore, sends uncomfortable ripples of paranoia through the community: will they reclaim their land and possessions, now “in the care of ” the villagers? While Director Ferenc Török’s film is superficially about anti-Semitism in Hungary, it’s really about responsibility. As seen in 1945, some people accept responsibility for the sacrifice of their their Jewish neighbors while some don’t acknowledge its existence at all. It's almost an allegory; maybe that’s why the landscape resembles the American Old West, a site of many a land-grab and massacre, as much as it does a village in Hungary. The town clerk (Péter Rudolf) is the man who tries to juggle everything that’s going on; he fields questions from anxious and guilt-ridden citizens, and has the Jewish visitors observed. He also owns the town’s drugstore and is preparing for his son’s wedding. The soon-to-be-married heir to the drugstore wants to give the business that his family “acquired” back to the Jews, but his father refuses. At the local pub the town drunk intones the past misdeeds of his fellow villagers. No one is happy—perhaps as it should be. The pair of strangers who arrived by train are cast into a town haunted by rotten secrets. If this were a typical western, a stoic stranger with a gun on his hip would try to set things straight; he’s played here by the Emotion of Guilt. Török handles this with a very deft touch. The villagers we meet piece together the strands of their or their family’s guilt—but stylistically stops short of melodrama. The cinematography is gorgeous and bleak and startlingly black and white. Like some European indie/art movies, 1945 is leisurely paced. Török lingers on a character or situation just long enough to express a viewpoint and moves on. The downside to this excellent movie is the understandable grimness and lack of sympathetic characters—but that’s the point. Like the assassination of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, it's supposed to symbolize unremitting horror. The killers could have done away with Sonny in a less spectacular and brutal manner, but it was done to impart maximum hurt to the Corleone Family; with Török’s film, it’s the Family of Humanity that takes the hit and he’s not going to make it too easy on anyone. n 32

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Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami BORN 1948, GRACE JONES is both an iconic performer and a performer who doesn’t get enough credit. In the context of “underground” or “alternative” or simply not-very-mainstream, Jones is a goddess of hip. With her dark skin, boldly androgynous features, ultra-confident and steely poise, and booming yet somewhat fervent singing, Jones is queen of the gay and after-hours clubs. Her music is a slick amalgam of R&B/funk, rock, and disco—the life-soundtrack of rebels, freaks, outsiders, and outsider-wannabes as much as David Bowie and Talking Heads. While not as famous as Donna Summer, Jones influenced many “outrageous” female singers including Lady Gaga, Rhianna, and Annie Lennox and bands/producers/collectives Massive Attack, Nile Rodgers, and LCD Soundsystem. Before establishing herself as a singer she was a model on the runways of Paris; the mid-’80s saw Jones begin a parallel career as a film actress, appearing in View To A Kill, Vamp, and the underrated Siesta. With all this going for her, one might think a film biography/documentary dedicated to Jones would be in order—alas, we must wait further as Sophie Fiennes’ Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami is not that film. The main problem is context—as in, it provides virtually none. While many docs rely too much on scenes of people familiar with or fond of the subject being straightforwardly interviewed, this movie just kind of drops the viewer into assorted situations. We see Grace having a meal with her family—but who are these people? We can assume some are siblings, yet we don’t know. We see Grace in the studio—but does Grace have any input in making the album? Did she write or co-write the songs? We do not know. And why does Jones, diva-like, yell at people on the telephone— very loudly and very often. We know she was a rebellious youth, but what music inspired her to be a singer/performer? Wikipedia can tell us more about that than Fiennes’ film. We learn pieces of her origins—born in Jamaica, moved to the USA (not far from Syracuse, NY), rebelled against her strict, abusive father, became a model. These are presented almost as if the director is teasing the audience. But the scenes of Jones performing live are presented in awesomely vivid detail…and they are fabulous stage productions with laser-like light-beams, with shadows that impart a Cabaret-like ambiance. There are a few touching moments: Jones chatting nostalgically with her former lover/collaborator Jean-Paul Goude; bonding with her baby grandchild. But too much of this film is failed artiness and padding out the running time. If one looks upon this as a Jones travelogue or concert film for hardcore devotees, Grace Jones is a minor success. As a bio/doc, however, it’s frustrating, overlong and tedious, giving the viewer precious little insight into its subject and the impact she’s had both musically and culturally. It’s a disservice to Jones and viewers who aren’t staunch fans. n

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SINGER | SONGWRITER REVIEWED BY TOM WILK

Nina Simone HHHH Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles BMG/Bethlehem A jazz and pop vocalist with classical training, Nina Simone influenced the work of singers outside those genres, such as Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway, in terms of artistic direction. Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles serves as a reveal-

ing portrait of the artist at the start of her career and coincides with her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April. Simone shows her versatility as a singer, ranging from the up-tempo swing of “Love Me or Leave Me” to the emotionally intense reading of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Porgy (I Loves You Porgy).” As an arranger, she demonstrates her creativity by adding a passage of “Good King Wenceslas” on her version of “Little Girl Blue.” “African Mailman,” a Simone original, spotlights her skills as a pianist and bandleader with support from her rhythm section of bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath. On “Central Park Blues,” Bond’s walking bass line is a perfect complement to Simone’s piano work. Simone dips into gospel for an understated rendition of “He’s Got The Whole World in His Hands” and captures the joys of “My Baby Just Cares For Me.” Jazz scholar Ashley Kahn puts 34

Simone’s artistry in perspective with his detailed and informative liner notes. Kahn points to an engagement at the Midtown Bar and Grill in Atlantic City as helping to jump-start her career. (14 songs, 45 minutes) Elk City HHH1/2 Everybody’s Insecure Bar None Records Everybody’s Insecure, the first studio in eight years from the North Jersey-based band Elk City, finds the group creating soundscapes that mix pop and rock and effectively showcase the vocal stylings and lyrics of Renee LoBue. She projects a dreamy feel on “Sparrow” with its lyrical questioning of self. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be as as free as a sparrow,” she sings, “I’ll try.” On “He’s Having a Baby,” the band starts off with an ethereal introduction that recalls 10,000 Maniacs but shifts gears into different musical movements like a symphony. The album spotlights Elk City’s work as an ensemble. The rhythm section of bassist Martin Olson and drummer Ray Ketchem provides a lift on “Ride The Slide” while Sean Eden’s jagged guitar lines have echoes of the Velvet Underground. “What If I Said You Were Dead” and “Souls in Space” are contemplations of mortality, featuring Carl Baggeley’s adept work on keyboards. “The band’s lighter side is reflected in “Root Beer Shoes,” which name checks Ernest Hemingway and Charles Bukowski. (10 songs, 39 minutes) The Claudettes HHH1/2 Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium! Yellow Dog Records Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium!, the third CD from the Chicagobased band the Claudettes, offers a refreshing and unexpected look at the modern world through the songs of keyboardist Johnny Iguana. The result is a creative and musically appealing album that’s as creative as its title. With its turbulent rhythm, “Don’t Stay With Me” upends the conventional love song with a mismatched couple looking to go their separate ways.

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Lead singer Berit Ulseth captures the narrator’s anguish. “Pull Closer to Me” reflects a relationship taking a 180-degree turn with a couple savoring a mutual attraction. “Give It All Up for Good” serves as a musical diatribe against overuse of the Web and its negative effect on face-to-face discourse. “Naked on the Internet,” with

its energetic piano/guitar interplay between Iguana and guitarist Zach Verdoorn, is a reminder that infamous images live on in cyberspace. The band, which also includes drummer Matthew Torre, shows the ability to shift between genres, ranging from the pop/rock of “Total Misfit” to the instrumental title track that mixes blues, disco and progressive rock. The Claudettes demonstrate a willingness to challenge musical boundaries. (12 songs, 35 minutes) Dulcie Taylor HHH Better Part of Me Black Iris Records “Life was easier when I was thinking less,” Dulcie Taylor sings on “Used to Know It All,” the opening track on Better Part of Me, her sixth studio album. It’s a candid admission in these uncertain times and underscores the honesty of her writing. Taylor deftly mixes folk, pop and country as she addresses both personal and social issues. “God Did Me a Favor” shows her

gift for melody as she expresses her gratitude for finding a true love. The bluesy-tinged “Watch Me Hurt” flips the script as she recounts the end of a love affair and its lingering aftermath. Vocally, Taylor recalls the expressiveness of Nanci Griffith on “I Do,” an affirmation of love. “Halfway to Jesus” serves as a call for action on climate change as Taylor leans into the lyrics with a renewed intensity to underscore the urgency of the cause. “Dove Crying in My Window” finds her marveling at the power and mystery of nature. The philosophically soothing “Hearts Have to Break” mixes acoustic and electric guitar as its serves as a reminder of life’s setbacks and the strength that comes in overcoming adversity. (11 songs, 43 minutes) Big Shoes HHH Step On It! Biglittle Records As individuals, the seven members of Big Shoes have recorded and performed live with Van Morrison, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Bonnie Raitt, among a variety of top-flight artists. On Step On It!, the septet performs in the spirit of those individuals and puts its own stamp on the music. “Duplex Blues,” the sprightly opening track written by guitarist Kenne Cramer, serves as a modernday lament for living in close quarters with little privacy. The funky “Don’t You Do Me That Way,” written by bassist Tom Szell, serves up an infectious New Orleans-style groove. Keyboardist Mark T. Jordan takes center stage on “Dixie Melody,” an original instrumental, which mixes gospel piano with a hint of ragtime. The vibrant “Honey Pie” has the feel of a Little Feat track from the early 1970s. The band shows its versatility, ranging from the Rolling Stones-influenced “Ain’t Nobody Loves You Like I Do,” which features a two-man horn section, to the B.B. King-styled “Too Early for the Blues.” Big Shoes is a musical democracy, with five band members writing songs and six members contributing lead or backing vocals. Big Shoes and roots music prove to be a good fit. (11 songs, 44 minutes) n

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JAZZ, ROCK, CLASSICAL, ALT REVIEWED BY MARK KERESMAN

Duo Gazzana HHHHH Ravel/Franck/Ligeti/Messiaen ECM New Series Duo Gazzana is Italian sisters Natascia and Raffaella Gazzana, respectively on violin and piano presenting The Royal We with an amazing set of mostly French 20th century music, their third for the ECM label. The sole “ringer” here is the Romanian-born

see/hear, Messiaen’s “Theme et Variations” takes the Gallic passion and grace and skims away all the sentimentality while still expressing a beauty, a beauty less of the messy emotions of the heart to the symmetrical beauty of architecture or of a play or novel unfolding. Rhythm? You’ll likely not tap your foot to this stuff, but there is rhythm, sometimes balletic, sometimes dramatic, always with a sense of purpose. This is, to use a word This Writer seldom uses, a stunning disc. (7 tracks, 56 min.) ecmrecords.com

lovely makeover via a solo electric guitar recital by Yanda. Imagine Hendrix’s “Fire” as sung by Elvis Presley but with a frenzied, impassioned cello solo in place of the blazing guitar. What’s more, the selections are all concise (like many of the originals, but that’s another story) with impeccable musicianship. Purists of any stripe need not apply, but if you can appreciate both Tom Jones and the World Saxophone Quartet, this album is a good time waiting to happen. (27 tracks, 118 min.) cornerstorejazz.com

Phil Haynes & Free Country HHHH My Favorite Things: 1960-69 Corner Store Jazz Since 1983, jazz drummer Phil Haynes had the beat for/with Leni Stern, Anthony Braxton, Tim Berne, and Michelle Rosewoman, among many others. Haynes helms a few bands of his own and this release is the latest from Free Country, an ensemble dedicated to interpreting music from the folk/country strands of the American musical tapestry. This time out, however, My Favorite Things is a two-disc hunk of mainstream pop/rock from the 1960s, including hits (mostly) of The Beatles (seven), Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Dionne Warwick, James Brown, and

Duo Damiana HHH1/2 Castillos De Viento Innova Duo Damiana is the duo of flutist Molly Alicia Barth and (acoustic) guitarist Dieter Hemmings and Castillos De Viento (Castles in the Wind) is the pair’s debut disc, one dedicated to classical/notated compositions for flute and guitar. The composers: Michael Fiday, Jesse Jones, Shafer Mahoney, Hebert Vazquez, and Chen Yi, and their pieces draw inspiration from the classical and folk traditions of the USA, Japan, China, and the Latin sphere. Fiday’s “Five Haiku” nicely balances and contrasts folkish simplicity with stirring dynamics (thorny, abrupt guitar

more. His band: Jim Yanda, guitar; Drew Gress, bass, and Hank Roberts, cello and vocals. The nifty thing about this lot’s approach to these classic tunes is how they mix and balance veneration, affection, satire, and creativity. “People Are Strange” could well be a Sunday afternoon country club waltz, until they break into a free jazz passage, then Roberts sings as if Jim Morrison was a crooner on a Vegas stage then… you get the idea. “Come Together” gets a drastic yet

plucks), aerated flute playing, and sultry, flamingohinted guitar. Anyone bemoaning the lack of rhythm and prettiness in contemporary composition needs to hear this…especially if you like flute and acoustic six-stringers. The Duo’s playing is loaded with immaculate technique but (more) importantly, plenty of heart. Chen Yi’s “Three Bagatelles from China West” at first seem like merely meandering prettiness until an internal logic that invites your ears to follow them into paths twisting and unknown, a bit con-

Natascia Gazzana and Raffaella Gazzana.Photo: Evandro Inetti.

György Ligeti, one of the grand-daddies of avantgarde classical composition (on the level of John Cage & Karl Stockhausen) and the sisters give his Duo its premiere recording. Some people—if they even really know classical music at all—think it’s this elite-ish concert hall stuff composed by dead European white guys for big concert halls….and it can be, but this stuff is just as heart-on-the-sleeve, raw-emotional as any confessional singer-songwriter or anguished blues singer. Take Franck’s “Sonata”—it’s sultry, stately, and full of heart-swelling passion (but without too much melodrama—just enough, actually). The piano notes cascade into space with the viscosity of honey and the rolling drama of a person’s Chase of Happiness; the violin swells and sighs as if the author lost his love and best friend in the same day and yet dignity is maintained. This is highly emotional music, full of stereotypical (yet real) French elegance. Whereas Franck lets it all out for all to 36

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founding yet engaging. This is music that requires investment on the listener’s part (no New Age-y blandage here) but at the same time it’s not overtly outré—there’s none of the staid, only-other-musicnerds-will-understand-this off-putting-ness that makes some avoid classical music (especially the contemporary stuff). Recommended to mod-classical neophytes as well as devotees. (14 tracks, 56 min.) innova.mu

some good originals and some cool “newer” standards: The Beatles’ “She Leaving Home” gets a drastic blues-drenched recasting and Ornette Coleman’s “Blues Connotation” manages to be oblique and swinging. Nothing amazing here, just good home cooking from some intelligent chefs, making for a tasty snack for both gourmets and novices. (9 tracks, 51 min.) davestryker.com

Jared Gold HHH Reemergence Strikezone A son of New Jersey, Jared Gold is a jazz organist who’s plied his trade with swells diverse as John Abercrombie, Oliver Lake, and Dave Stryker. If you’re thinking “groove” when you read/hear the phrase “jazz Hammond B-3 organ,” you would be right— Gold is a groove-meister like six-stringer Stryker. But what makes him stand out from the pack of groovin’ jazz organists is his grounding in jazz piano—he’s as much a bop player as he is a soul-jazz player. While some guys pour heavy on the think tasty classic Hammond honey, Gold has a light (though not frivolous), fleet-fingered approach. Stryker is a cracking guitarist in the mainstream mold (think Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell) with a plump, rounded tone. Billy Hart is the drummer and he’s played with the avantgarde posse and Stan Getz—throughout Hart has

Superchunk HHHH What A Time to Be Alive Merge As one ages one sometimes reflects on the continuing relevance of rock & roll. Grace Slick said “old people” look silly playing rock music yet some “old” people don’t embarrass themselves doing it. The members of North Carolina’s indie rock veterans Superchunk (a tradition since 1989) are ‘round the big five-0 mark, are parents, and yet they still got that spark without sounding like (or worse, trying to sound like) they’re still 20-somethings. Their guitars still have that crunch ‘n’ smolder tone: their songs still sleek, fast, and streamlined and frequently with ear-worm melodic hooks (what we oldsters used to call “punk rock”), tempos urgent & fevered yet not frantic, and Mac McCaughan’s voice still has that high-pitched adolescent-ish tartness. As one might guess from this platter’s title, Superchunk seek to articulate the rage and bewilderment brought about by

nifty accents and asides, not just maintaining the groove but enriching it. Guesting is Jeremy Pelt, whose crisp trumpet (in the rippling tradition of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard) enlivens three tracks. The song selection, too, is a slight departure from the norm—instead of overdone standards there’s

the USA’s current regime and this they do without resorting to simplistic preachiness. (Pick to click: The wittily cynical “Reagan Youth.”) What A Time to Be Alive goes for catharsis, empathy, and motivational energy with the wit and spunk of iconic combos such as Hüsker Dü, The Clash, and the Buzzcocks. This is one of those platters that make me glad I still bother with modern rock & roll. (11 tracks, 33 min.) mergerecords.com n ICON, MAY 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

JAZZ LIBRARY BY BOB PERKINS

Duke Pearson

IN THE WORLD OF music, and in particular jazz music, musicians do their work; composers are strategic in the scheme of things, as are the arrangers. But from time to time, there were and are those with multi-musical talent who could play, compose, arrange and lead a band. Duke Ellington and Stan Kenton come immediately to mind, but there were a good number of others, one of whom was Duke Pearson. Pearson was a pianist and took lessons on the instrument at age six, tutored by his mother, and continued to do so for about six years. He then became interested in brass instruments, and began playing the saxophone, mellophone and trumpet, and played the trumpet in high school, and well into his studies at Atlanta’s Clark College. Even after becoming a multi-instrumentalist, and then learning how to arrange, compose, lead small and large bands and become an A&R man for the Blue Note label, Pearson chose to concentrate more on his arranging. Along the way, he also found time to be accompanist to a couple of pretty fair singers, Nancy Wilson and Carmen McCrae. The talented and soft-spoken Pearson was born in 1932 in Atlanta, Georgia. The name “Duke” was given him by his uncle, a Duke Ellington fan. He received little or no formal training, except from his mother; he was good enough to more than hold his own in local nightspots in his hometown. Pearson was drafted in 1953 and spent two years in the Army, where he met pianist Wynton Kelly, and as he told one interviewer, “Became so spoiled by Kelly’s good piano,” he returned to piano playing. Wynton Kelly went on to become a jazz pianist of note, and was a part of Miles Davis’ landmark LP, Kind of Blue. After military service, Pearson returned home briefly, and later began to travel, gaining work in several R&B groups. He gradually acquired notice in jazz circles and while performing with the Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet, caught the eye of trumpeter Donald Bryd, who asked him to join a quintet he’d formed with saxophonist Pepper Adams. Not long afterward, Pearson became ill and pianist Herbie Hancock filled his position in the band. Pearson became accompanist to Nancy Wilson, but his friendship with Bryd remained strong, and they would collaborate again. While on tour of Central America with Nancy Wilson in 1961, Pearson got to observe the huge statue of Christ, which stands atop Corcovado Mountain in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He was more than impressed, and carried the image with him for several years until he and Byrd began work on A New Perspective, which Pearson arranged. Included in the album, was an anthem to the statue titled “Christ the Redeemer.” The album was titled the same—but in Portuguese: “Christo Redentor.” The selection was comprised of eight instrumentalists and an eight-member gospel choir, which infused an intended religious flavor. The album, and in particular “Christo Redentor” did much to improve the jazz stature of both Byrd and Pearson in the jazz community at large. Pearson went on to become an A&R and production man for the Blue Note record label while continuing to front large and small ensembles, and to arrange and compose for his band, for other bands, and as accompanist for vocalists. He 38

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toured with singer Carmen McCrae and Joe Williams in the early 1970s. Although his work was sometimes overlooked or taken for granted, he observed the better qualities of others, and complimented the versatile Williams by saying, “Joe Williams is easier to work with than anybody I’ve ever worked with.” Pearson recorded over a dozen albums under his own name, and was featured as a sideman or arranger on two dozen others. Not a great body of work, but he managed to kick up his share of creative dust as he moved through his multifaceted work, quietly and often without much notice, which may be why greater recognition escaped him. Another reason may be due to his early departure from life. Columbus Calvin “Duke” Pearson died August 4, 1980, in an Atlanta Veterans Hospital, a victim of multiple sclerosis at age 47. Ironically, his brilliant composition, “Christo Redentor,” is remembered as his signature song and his swan song. n Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1 Mon. through Thurs. night, from 6–9 and Sunday, 9–1.

POP

The Big BY A.D. AMOROSI

2Chainz

KAHUNA DARYL HALL AND JOHN Oates’ [interviewed in ICON, May 2017] “HoagieNation Festival”— now in its second year at Festival Pier on May 26—is going strong. Having the Philly-born soulrock duo host Train, Fitz & the Tantrums, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives and fellow locals Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers (and more) through a celebration of food, music area culture deserves to thrive. So, too, is the third-year-running tri-state bouncing “Outlaw Music Festival” starring Willie Nelson, Van Morrison, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and more (September 15, Camden’s BB&T, and September 8 at Hersheypark Stadium) a contender when it comes to rocking out and about. The “Firefly Music Festival,” at eight years old (June 14-17), is a sensational, established, live music and camping gathering, taking in The Woodlands of Dover, DE. This year, the meeting of alt-rock, hip-hop and electronic music welcomes headliners such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and more. Other potentially splendid new multi-artists fests are also in the offing such as REAL 106.1 Presents “I Love the ’90s” with Salt-n-Pepa, Coolio, Tone Loc, Biz Markie, 2 Live Crew, Rob Base and more August 24, at the BB&T; and the Atlantic City “BeachFest” concert series featuring country super stars Sam Hunt with Kane Brown on July 1. That’s almost a wrap when it comes to live sound from spring to summer in the Philly-Jersey-Delaware area. That is except for the biggest and longest running mammoo: “The Roots Annual Picnic” at Festival Pier. At 11 years old and still going strong (and inventive), “The Roots Annual Picnic”—this year on Saturday, June 2 and competing with that night’s Justin Timberlake show at Wells Fargo Center—comes courtesy of The Roots’ principle co-founders and mouthpieces, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Along with their management (hey Shawn Gee) and Live Nation, that Phillyborn dynamic duo is hands-on responsible for curating its own party. That’s a big deal considering that along with the full ensemble’s nightly performance on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” on NBC, Trotter and Thompson started Passyunk Productions, and are currently working on two children’s shows for Amazon Studios: one

a live-action program, the other an animated kids’ show. Both are anticipated to start their online runs this autumn. “We usually have a great diversity in terms of genre,” said Trotter last year when we discussed The Roots’ plans (“Yeah, we start thinking and booking the day after the last one”) of the Picnic’s usual slate of acts. Since its start, the Roots Picnic has become a mini-festival event drawing audiences from around the globe, and a wide array of guest performers from the hip-hop/R&B realm—past guests have ranged from Snoop Dogg and Diplo to Usher and St. Vincent—have reigned. For 2018, everyone from R&B songstress Brandy to indie-pop’s Dirty Projectors to Philly’s platinum-plaited Lil Uzi Vert hit the big stage during the day-long event. For this year’s “Picnic,” Black Thought is continuing to curate his own “mixtape stage,” which features a unique gathering of big-name rappers in an up-close-and-personal fashion (this year Fabolous and Jadakiss). And in a strange and even daring turn, its headliner-host for the end of the evening All Star Jam is a comedian: Dave Chappelle. This must have something to do with Trotter’s newest enterprise; he recently got into the solo entrepreneurial act with the start of his “Black Thought Presents…. Delirious” stand-up comedy events, first at the Punch Line Comedy Club in his hometown of Philadelphia, with more to follow at other Punch Line locations nationally. Trotter admitted that he might not be wildly humorous as a rapper, but he’s learned a lot about comedy from his pal Jimmy Fallon. “I do not seem like a funny guy. But for the last eight years, five days a week, I’ve worked on a comedy sketch show, whether it was Jimmy’s Late Show or The Tonight Show. Sometimes the comedy is dry, sometimes I’m in an apron or a blonde wig. Something had to rub off.” Then there’s a matter of what the ensemble does best: compose and construct incendiary hip hop. A new Roots album, End Game, the band’s 17th studio release, is due out in the fall. “It’s our most amazing and timely, if I do say so myself,” Trotter said. Pressed for details (i.e. Trump, Black Lives Matter), he said simply, “Oh, you can guess the rest.” n

Brandy

Dave Chappelle

Jojo Abot

Lil Uzi Vert

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22 | TAYLOR MAC

show time. I mean, how can you rehearse blindfolding an entire audience? All that is in the moment and becomes part of the content when it does—the content of the stories being communities in America building themselves as a result of being torn apart. They don’t always plot things out as they go along through history. They have an outline and go for it. Same as us. I want the form to mirror the content.

24 | LISA SIMONE

sweet spot, one that became a calling card and a badge of honor? One song I wrestled with was “Feeling Good.” I didn’t want to do it, mainly because everyone has done it and because it’s so strongly associated with my mother. When I recorded it I decided to make myself as comfortable as possible, so I went into the vocal booth with a candle and my dog. That helped me get over the hump. Is there a reason to revisit “Simone on Simone” other than a 10th reunion with your friend Rob Stoneback and his big band? It feels good to be coming back to Pennsylvania, near where I’ve lived [in the Poconos] for, oh my god, 16 years. It’s a big reunion for all of us, from management to booking to the musicians. I never, ever imagined in my wildest dreams how uplifting and joyous it would be to perform with a big band. I finally found a foundation that could support my big voice, what’s coming out of my chest. And to perform on Mother’s Day, well, that’s the cherry on top.

Taylor Mac when he’s not being Taylor Mac in drag.

How did the story come to you, and why did you build it around the popular song of the time? Popular music seemed to be the right form since communities are building themselves up as a result of tearing themselves apart. They’re using imperfection as a way to build themselves—people are dying from the AIDS epidemic, or people are being enslaved, or people are dealing with the industrial revolution. It felt as if imperfection was being used to strengthen community. So, what is the art form that best represents a country’s strength or a community’s strength? Popular songs. Those songs brought people together. They rallied people to a cause that you could celebrate together or mourn together. They use simple chord structure—A b A b—and the storytelling is basic enough to reach the people. In order for the singular being and then the group to use its humanity? Yes. With the classical song the goal is about reaching for perfection. You rally people through virtuosity. At that point, you’re probably reaching for the hem of God. Different forms of popular music were used for people and their own brand of community building. It all stemmed from the time when I was 14 and went to this AIDS Walk in San Francisco; I had never met an out homosexual before and that time, the first time that I met one, it was thousands at the same time. The reason they were all there was because they were being torn apart by the epidemic. And that brought them together. So the community had to build itself up from there. Years later I wanted to make a show that was a metaphorical representation of that phenomenon throughout U.S. history… how we’re doing now. n 40

You and director Liz Garbus made sure that the documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone?” is a candid, circling view of your mom “in her own voice on her own terms…the good, the bad, the ugly and the precious,” to quote your words back to you. Did anything in the film surprise you, shock you, or simply clarify something hazy for you? When I first met with Liz my only caveat was that I wanted my mother to be remembered the way she wanted to be remembered, as a classical musician. It makes me cringe when I hear people say that Nina Simone was, or is, a jazz artist; I can’t imagine how she felt. She never forgot the pain of being excluded from the classical world because of the color of her skin, even though you can hear the classical influences in the way she approached her music. She was magnificently talented; she was a genius. Even though I am a founder of the film, with my husband, I had no idea how I would react to it when I saw it for the first time. I was at home in France, sitting outside, and the FedEx truck pulled up with a copy of the first cut. I was nervous about seeing it. Finally, it was time to watch it and I climbed into bed with my daughter and her friend. I kept waiting for the tears to come—and I never shed a tear. When it was finished I danced around the room. I wrote Liz a long email thanking her for the passion and the vision and the love and the fierceness. I didn’t know that my dad [Andrew Stroud, a trumpeter, New York City detective and Nina’s manager] or Al Schackman [Nina’s longtime music director and band leader] were going to be in the film. I didn’t know how much it would be driven by [recordings of] my mother’s [speaking] voice. It was that voice that made the film so authentic; it doesn’t get any more authentic. Do you recall any truly memorable reactions to the film from Nina’s friends, fans and critics? Some people told me they were amazed by my strength. They said: Wow, what kind of vitamins did

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you take to get from who you were [a victimized daughter] to who you are? I tell them it took a lot of meditation and a lot of forgiveness work. My mother was a genius who found it difficult to live her own life, much less be in a relationship. The thing that surprises me the most is that your mother told you she wasn’t much of a singer when in fact she was one of the most commanding, compelling singers of all time. One of my favorite interpretations of all time is her spellbindingly slow, haunting, haunted “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” which you cover on “Simone on Simone.” I think of her as a performing revolutionary, a musical James Baldwin or Muhammad Ali. You have to remember that my mother’s dream was to be a classical pianist; in her heart she never stopped being a classical pianist. She called her music “Black Classical.” We’re our own worst critics and she was her own worst critic. Today, the world appreciates her: that’s what critics and fans do when folks die. I’m thankful that it’s better later than never. I’m also thankful that she appreciated me as a singer, as a performer. What I picked up from my mother is the ability to make people feel deeply, to take them on an emotional journey. We’re both storytellers; we’re both griots. In 2016 you were a major player in the major debate over the accuracy and authenticity of the biopic “Nina.” You were tough on director Cynthia Mort and fair on Zoe Saldana, the light-skinned non-musician who played your dark-skinned, mega-musical mother. Would you play your mom on the big screen, the small screen, or the stage? Yes. I don’t think anyone could do it any better than I can. The question is: Do I want to go there? My mother’s spirit is very strong still. Playing her wouldn’t be like putting on a coat and taking it off. Because I’ve stepped out of the quagmire of pain, I think I have the courage, the perspective, to unzip that mantle. I promised my mother on her death bed that she would not be forgotten, that she would be remembered the way she wanted to be remembered. It took me 12 years to fulfill that promise and it was worth it: it ended up being a joy ride. Now my job is done. Now I can be like The Outlaw Josey Wales [Clint Eastwood’s hunting, hunted former farmer]. I can take my hat and my gun and my horse and head for the horizon. I can survey the landscape and decide whichever way I’m going to go. Now I can shine a light on myself; now I can shine brightly with a big bright smile. n Lisa Simone performs with the Rob Stoneback Big Band at 7:30 p.m. May 13 in the Musikfest Café, SteelStacks, Bethlehem. What Happened, Miss Simone? will be screened at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a halfhour Q&A with her. 610-297-7100, artsquest.org. Geoff Gehman wrote about his Sinatra-loving, oratorio-singing, barbershop quartet-leading father in the memoir The Kingdom of the Kid: Growing Up in the Long-Lost Hamptons. (SUNY Press) geoffgehman@verizon.net.

harper’s FINDINGS

INDEX

Rainy Election Days swing at least 1 percent of voters from Democrat to Republican; partisans tend to think that their candidate is taller than the opposing candidate; and politicians who develop vocal disorders may become more persuasive. Spanish researchers created an AI that can predict provincial corruption. The key vector of exposure to fake news is Facebook. A low opinion of the Bible mitigates the negative effects of pornography on men’s sexual satisfaction. Bilingualism may mitigate autism. Researchers discovered a novel pathway through which “obesogens” make people gain weight. Neutron stars cannot weigh more than 2.16 times as much as the sun, and planets cannot weigh more than ten times as much as Jupiter. Earth scientists concluded that the Anthropocene began in 1952 or 1954. The aerosols released by deep-fat fryers may aid in global cooling. Fresh water is absorbing excess CO2. Oceanic and atmospheric superheating during the Permian–Triassic mass extinction expelled reptiles from the tropics. Rising atmospheric CO2 is making the forest of Barro Colorado Island more flowery. Many old maps contain imaginary islands.

Minutes for which food-storage containers must resist mauling to be designated “bear resistant”: 60 Portion of containers tested by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee that bears are able to open: 2/5 Rank of Paddington 2 among the best-reviewed films of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes: 1 Number of the twenty highest-grossing films worldwide that are part of a franchise: 19 Percentage of Americans who are concerned that Amazon is forcing brick-and-mortar stores out of business: 64 Who have a favorable impression of the company: 71 Amount by which Jeff Bezos’s net worth increased the day after the launch of Amazon Go, a cashierless store: $2,800,000,000 Rank of cashier among the most common US jobs: 2 Ratio of homeless Americans to empty investor-owned properties in the United States: 1:2 Ratio of the wealth held by the world’s 42 richest people to that held by the poorest 50 percent: 1:1 Number of passengers the Subaru Ascent, a new sport-utility vehicle, is designed to transport: 8 Number of cupholders it has: 19 Portion of US greenhouse-gas emissions that results from energy produced on federal lands: 1/5 Number of US facilities handling toxic chemicals that lie in areas with a high risk of flooding: 1,400 Estimated percentage by which human activity has decreased the distance mammals roam: 66 Percentage by which middle schoolers are less likely to be depressed if they live in an area with dense vegetation: 19 Minimum number of outdoor kindergartens in Germany: 1,500 Percentage of Germans who think their lives are better than they would have been fifty years ago: 65 Of Italians: 23 Estimated number of Britons over 65 who have not spoken with friends or family in more than a month: 200,000 Date on which the UK appointed a minister for loneliness: 1/17/2018 Number of Japanese with dementia who went missing in 2016: 15,432 Number of residents of Matsudo, Japan, trained to find lost seniors suffering from dementia: 3,000 Percentage of Afghan refugees who have had to flee a second time after returning home: 72 Estimated portion of global migrants who are traveling from one developing nation to another: 2/5 Number of the world’s top 100 Scrabble players who live in Nigeria: 28 Number of US pro-sports franchise owners who have purchased franchises in the eSports league for the game Overwatch: 7 Percentage of Republican and Democratic men, respectively, who believe they are “very masculine”: 39,23 Of Republican and Democratic women who believe they are “very feminine”: 33,29 Estimated number of LGBT American adults who have been subjected to conversion therapy: 698,000 Percentage by which a gay American man earns more than a similarly employed straight man: 10 Percentage of the city council of Palm Springs, California, that identifies as LGBT: 100 Portion of Americans who believe parts of states should have the right to secede: 1/4 Percentage of Americans who believed that Puerto Rico should be a state before Hurricane Maria: 40 After Hurricane Maria: 47 Number of 7-Eleven stores that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided on a single January morning: 98 Number of multistate lawsuits filed against George W. Bush’s administration: 44 Against Donald Trump’s administration in its first year: 35 Percentage change in the portion of Republicans satisfied with the “moral and ethical climate” since Trump’s inauguration: +41 Number of cities on porn actress Stormy Daniels’s 2018 “Make America Horny Again” stripping tour: 28

LSD is the most dreamlike drug; barbiturates, the least. Neuroscientists tried to determine why synesthetes who speak different languages all see a red letter “A”. Cartoon bad guys’ faces are more realistic than good guys’. Study participants rated a firefighter named Albert more moral if he chose to save his mother or his best friend from a burning building instead of a famous peacekeeper, and less moral if he saved the peacekeeper or if he saved his mother but “was born with a rare neurological disorder that has made it impossible for him to form emotional attachments.” Engineers created a robotic sleeve that surrounds the heart and squeezes it to help it beat and a crawling robot baby that stirs up particulate matter in carpets. A clinical lecturer in surgery at Imperial College London proposed a scenario wherein “an Oedipus-like individual exposed to a Gödel closed timelike curve would sire a child during his maternal fertilization cycle. As a consequence of heteropaternal superfecundation, he would father his own dizygotic twin and would therefore generate a new class of autofraternal superfecundation, and by doing so creating a ‘twin-father’ temporal paradox.” Hollywood films have increasingly been concluding scenes with a cryptic reaction shot.

Fearful dairy calves tend to be more pessimistic. Bonobos prefer to accept apple slices from humans if the humans are bullies. Female Uca mjoebergi fiddler crabs prefer male robot crabs who increase the tempo of their claw-waving during courtship. Scientists reported success in using a French press to exercise zebrafish. Temporary penises occur as female bearded dragons grow up. Eighteen new spider-hunting pelican spiders were discovered in Madagascar, silky anteaters are seven species, and all marbled crayfish are clones of a single female. A genetic analysis of yeti samples revealed bears. Two California black bears whose paws were burned in wildfires were treated with edible bandages. Authorities admitted the escape of fifty-two Parisian baboons. The moose of Isle Royale are shrinking. Cold temperatures in the United States were causing iguanas to fall from trees. Ultraviolet fluorescence was observed in the bony protuberances of Calumma chameleons. Organizers of an oncology conference in India invited an opening speaker who blames cancer on karma. A goose fell from the sky and knocked unconscious a goose hunter. A king cobra and a reticulated python poisoned and strangled each other, respectively. An octopus suffocated a dolphin who was trying to eat it. In New Zealand, a blind goose named Thomas, who was involved in a love triangle with a swan named Henry, died around the age of thirty-eight; and a gannet named Nigel died on an uninhabited island surrounded by concrete replica gannets. A killer whale in Antibes can now say “bye-bye.”

SOURCES: 1,2 US Forest Service (Missoula, Mont.); 3 Rotten Tomatoes (Los Angeles); 4 Nash Information Services (Beverly Hills, Calif.); 5,6 Rasmussen Reports (Asbury Park, N.J.); 7 Forbes (NYC); 8 US Bureau of Labor Statistics; 9 ATTOM Data Solutions (Irvine, Calif.)/US Department of Housing and Urban Development; 10 Credit Suisse (Zurich); 11,12 Subaru of America, Inc. (Long Beach, Calif.); 13 The Wilderness Society (Washington); 14 New York Times; 15 John Fryxell, University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada); 16 Carla Bezold, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (Boston); 17 German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Berlin); 18,19 Pew Research Center (Washington); 20 Age UK (London); 21 UK Prime Minister’s Office (London); 22 National Police Agency (Tokyo); 23 Matsudo City Welfare Longevity Department (Japan); 24 Norwegian Refugee Council (Oslo); 25 United Nations Population Division (NYC); 26 World English Language Scrabble Players Association (Melbourne, Australia); 27 Blizzard Entertainment (Irvine, Calif.); 28,29 Pew Research Center; 30 The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law; 31 Christopher Carpenter, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.); 32 Palm Springs City Council (Calif.); 33–35 Rasmussen Reports; 36 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 37,38 Paul Nolette, Marquette University (Milwaukee); 39 Gallup (Atlanta); 40 GR Media Firm (Los Angeles). ICON, MAY 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

MOTHER’S DAY By Amy Johnson

ACROSS 1 5 9 14 19 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 31 33 35 36 37 41 44 45 46 47 50 53 54 55 56 58 61 62 65 66 67 70 73 75 76 77 80 81 83 84 87 88 89 90 93 95 96

Stops up Some shells Blokes Bee’s landing place Abbr. covering unlisted items Part of the rural scenery Yoga term meaning “force” Elevate Foppish fed? National capital on Cape Verde Dr. __ Hahn on “Grey’s Anatomy” Best possible They hang at parties Word from the French for “little wing” Tech tutorials site Dadaism pioneer Federal hush-hush org. Hotel housekeeper’s concern? Easter entrée Rockies roamer Some HDTVs Like San Francisco’s Coit Tower It’s everything, they say 1910s conflict Spike with films “Two mints in one” sloganeer Brazen Muppets watchers Muppets’ address, briefly Upscale retailer Gave a leg up Rattler’s weapon Air pump letters Woman’s surprise party for her kids’ kids? Edwards, e.g.: Abbr. Net, but not Jet or Met Like some massages Bitter __ Certain dietary abstinence Civil War topper Part of a squirrel’s stash __ for the ride BOLO equivalent Old atlas letters Burdens Plentiful Potato often used for fries Pub stickers Slangy assent “One man’s trash ... “?

99 Toss in 102 IRS convenience 104 Like four-leaf clovers 105 The one that got away 107 “Do tell!” 111 Shot in the dark 113 Openings for Tolkien and Rowling?: Abbr. 114 Nursery rhyme dieter 115 Sniffle over some Austen? 118 Hanukkah fare 119 Sporty old Ford 120 So 121 Beginning to bat? 122 Lessened 123 Jack of “The Wizard of Oz” 124 Celine of pop 125 Staff notation

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 25 30 32 34 38 39 40 42 43 44 46 47 48 49

Hardly dignify Pioneering game consoles Heavy envelope makeup Pizza purchase Monkey in “Aladdin” Places to tie up “A horse, of course, of course” In a circle near a diamond Skiers’ retreats Hesitate while speaking 24-hr. banking spots Old-style “Wicked!” Riviera resort Know-it-all High school hurdles Ask for a doggie bag? Banned orchard spray P.O. box fillers Copies made on onionskin, probably Word with fast or passing Baseball stats Informal science Big name in nonstick cookware Unit of force Scrabble vowel value Bartender’s array Fifth book of the New Testament More than half Unsuccessful swing Test-drive car, e.g. Recipe meas. Some S&L plans Frequent February craft project?

ICON, MAY 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

99 For each one 51 “The __ are lovely, dark and deep”: 100 Tries to prevent Frost 101 Pharaoh, for one 52 “Who’s there?” reply 103 Space cadet 54 House prop 106 Egypt’s Sadat 57 Really bombed 107 Cartographer’s speck 59 First name in ramp-to-ramp jumping 108 Hollywood rating gp. 60 Univ. term 109 Sitcom that starred a singer 62 You may hum a few 110 Windsurfing need 63 Trio of asses? 112 Wrapped wear 64 Bikini specs 116 “Compton” album maker 67 Funk band Kool & the __ 117 Rouen rejection 68 Outdoorsy sort’s retailer 69 Dresser’s concern? 71 Harmful gas outlet 72 Crunchy lunches 74 Nemesis Answer to April’s puzzle, LOW FLOW 76 Favorable aspect 77 What prices may do 78 Wiesel with a Nobel 79 Halloween staple 81 Bait, often 82 Hot wings chaser, perhaps 85 Aspiring therapist’s maj. 86 Black or brown critter 90 “No cellphone at dinner,” say 91 Dig up 92 Shakespearean genre 94 Back in the day 96 Unexpectedly and unhappily single 97 Starr-struck one? 98 Held

AGENDA FINE ART

THRU 5/20 The Particular Past. Martin Art Gallery, Baker Center for the Arts, Muhlenberg College, 2400 West Chew Street, Allentown, PA. Muhlenberg.edu/gallery THRU 5/27 Jim Rodgers, 2018 Solo Exhibition. Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art, 4920 York Rd., Holicong, PA (in Buckingham Green, Rte. 202.) 215-794-4300. Silvermangallery.com THRU 7/7 Spring Show. Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery, 459 Main St., Bethlehem. 610-419-6262. BethlehemHouseGallery.com 5/6-6/10 The Art of the Miniature, The 26th invitational exhibition of fine art miniatures from around the world. Opening reception 5/6, 1-5 PM. View online beginning opening weekend. The Snow Goose Gallery, 470 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-974-9099. Thesnowgoosegallery.com

5/19 33rd Annual Art Auction. Silent & Live Auctions. The Baum School of Art, 510 W. Linden St., Allentown, PA. 610-433-0032. Baumschool.org

5/24 The State Theatre Center for the Arts presents, Freddy Awards. Stream live on 69 WFMZ, 7PM. Freddyawards.org

5/19 18th Annual Quakertown Arts Alive. Fine Arts & Craft Event. Downtown Quakertown, PA. Rain date 5/20. 215-536-2273. Quakertownalive.com

6/21-6/22 Dirty Dancing. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610252-3132. Statetheatre.org

5/25-5/27 Mayfair at Cedar Crest. Craft vendors, artists, music, live performances, and food. Free admission and parking. Cedar Crest College, 100 College Dr., Allentown, PA. 800-360-1222. Cedarcrest.edu 5/31-6/10 Philadelphia International Festival of Art, PIFA. 11 days of gasp-inducing goosebumps. Kimmel Center.org 6/4-6/9 Bucks County Plein Air Festival & Art Sale. Thirty artists. Live music, food trucks, and wine. Art will be on sale at buckscountypleinair.org, 6/4-6/8. 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA. 215-968-8097. BucksCountyPleinAir.org

ART FESTIVALS / TOURS

5/4-5/6 Morven in May, Contemporary Craft & Garden. Thirty-six craft artists from around the U.S. Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton St., Princeton, NJ. Morven.org 5/5-5/6 The Hunterdon Art Tour. Self-guided tour of Artists’ studios. Meet the artists, see their work, 10 AM6 PM. Kick off Exhibition & Party 5/4, 7-9 PM, The Hunterdon Art Museum. For info go to, Thehunterdonarttour.com. 5/5-6/10 Sculpture 2018, 17th Annual Juried Exhibition. New Hope Arts Center, 2 Stockton Ave., New Hope, PA. Newhopearts.org 5/12-5/13 Bethlehem Fine Art & Craft Show, 53 Years. Including over 80 regional, national & local artists. Art projects for kids, fun for the entire family. Historic Main St., Bethlehem, PA. Bfac-lv.org

FILM

6/12-6/16 15th Annual SouthSide Film Festival, celebrating independent film from around the world. Docs, shorts, features, animation, experimental. Bethlehem, PA. SSFF.org 6/14-6/16 15th Annual SouthSide Film Festival. Children’s Film Series. Free. Bethlehem, PA. Details: SSFF.org THEATER

THRU 5/6 Into the Woods. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine. Act 1 Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610-282-3192. Desales.edu/act1 5/12 The 13th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival. Touchstone Theatre, 321 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem, PA. 610-867-1689. touchstone.org

CONCERTS

5/6 Jazz Hymns and Spirituals. Jerry Rife's Rhythm Kings. 3 pm. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ 609.392.6409. 1867sanctuary.org 5/11-5/12 111th Bethlehem Bach Festival. Baroque music performed in glorious settings throughout the town. Presented by The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, celebrating 120 years. Bethlehem, PA. Festival schedule at Bach.org. 610-866-4382. 5/16 Spring Concert. Guild for Early Music. 8 pm. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ 609.392.6409. 1867sanctuary.org 5/18-5/19 111th Bethlehem Bach Festival. Baroque music performed in glorious settings throughout the town. Presented by The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, celebrating 120 years. Bethlehem, PA. Complete Festival schedule and tickets, Bach.org. 610-866-4382. 5/23 Dominika Zamara, lyric soprano and Stanley Alexandrowicz, classical guitar. 8 pm. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ 609.392.6409. 1867sanctuary.org 6/9 11th Annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue, featuring Samantha Fish. Acts include Alexis P. Suter, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, Clarence Spady, Johnny Hayes & The Loveseats. 6 stages of music, great food, and BBQ and 4 beer tents. Downtown Allentown, PA, Noon-10 PM. Info and lineup, visit DowntownAllentown.com.

KESWICK THEATRE 291 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 215-572-7650 keswicktheatre.com MAY 7 Garrison Keillor 9 Eric Burdon & the Animals 11 Friday Night Fever 12 The Temptations/Four Tops 18 Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes 19 Pink Martini JUNE 2 David Crosby & Friends 8 The Best of Doo Wop: IV MAUCH CHUNK OPERA HOUSE 14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA mcohjt.com 570-325-0249 MAY 5 10 11 12 18 19 25 JUNE 1 2

Cash is King Danielle Nicole Green River Starman Billy Bauer Band The Police by NYF Deadgrass Popa Chubby Dean Ford/Beautiful Ones

MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem 610-332-1300 Artsquest.org MAY 10 13 17 23 JUNE 2 6

Carbon Leaf Lisa Simone Renaissance Spyro Gyra Almost Queen Bria Skonberg

EVENTS THRU 5/19 Society of the Arts IDEA House 2018 at Houdenhal. 9905 Old 22, Breinigsville, PA. Info: Sotapa.org. 5/5 38th Annual Historic Easton House Tour. Visit 6 historic homes and 3 public spaces from 10am to 4pm. Tour begins at Riverside Park, Easton. Purchase tickets online or at several locations. For more info: Eastonhousetour.com

5/5 Earthfest, 25th Anniversary Celebration: local environmental groups, music, beer garden, vendors, food. 10 AM- 6 PM, Dvoor Farm, 111 Mine St., Flemington, NJ. 5/12-5/20 New Hope Celebrates presents, Pridefest, 15 years of community pride. Events: 5k run & The Rainbow Flag Event, parade and fair, The United Colors of Love. For info: newhopecelebrates.com. 5/19 Kick-off to Friday Night Music Festivals, the day of Prince Harry & Meghan’s wedding. Enjoy a royal reception on Main Street; dance band on the Hunterdon Art Museum Terrace, the Arturo Jazz Band., food. Everyone is invited to wear black and white. Sponsored by Guild of Clinton. Clinton, NJ. 5/20-5/21 Brunch & Music in the Park. Bring brunch items and enjoy music and dancing, including Tango instruction. West Park, Allentown, PA. 610434-9034. Westpark-ca.org 5/25- 9/3 Clinton's Free Outdoor Summer Music, 11th Annual Friday Night Music Festivals, runs thru Labor Day weekend. 4 bands play in 4 locations on the sidewalks of Clinton 7 - 9 PM. This year, now also on Saturday afternoons from 1 to 3 PM. Main St., Clinton, NJ. 6/8 The 30th Anniversary Tyler Tasting Party, celebrating with a Great Gatsby bash. Food, drinks, and fun. Period attire is encouraged. Proceeds benefit the historic preservation of the Tyler Mansion and formal gardens, as well as student scholarships. 6:00-9:30 PM, Tyler Mansion & Formal Gardens, 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA. 215968-8097. Tylertastingparty.com 6/24 West Park Historic House Tour. Tour some of our neighborhood’s beautiful historic homes. As noted by US News & World Report, “Homes around West Park ooze Colonial Revival and Queen Anne charm.” 610-737-7132. WestparkCA.org n

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