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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 22 | CHRISTINA APPLEGATE To be fully formed, her character in Dead to Me (the Netflix smash hit in which she costars) needed a star who’s lived, who’s lost, who’s seen a few things, who’s gotten back up, and who can laugh and cry about it—a lot. Jennifer Hansen-Rolli, Cheeky. Silverman Gallery.
24 | PATTI LUPONE
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In “Don’t Monkey with Broadway”(Kimmel Center, June 9), everything that Lupone executes has more nuanced theatrical arcs than A Doll’s House and twice the emotion— she talks, sings, and kicks ass on songs from composers such as Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, and Stephen Sondheim.
MORE FILM
ART 5| Alex Sepkus Trunk Show. Heart of the Home
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ESSAY Going Global
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Jennifer Hansen-Rolli: This Place 20 |
Tinicum Arts Festival Tinicum, PA Patti Lupone. Photo: Jake Chessum.
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Alex Sepkus Trunk Show 30th Annual Manayunk Arts Festival
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“A” Space Gallery
Aretha Franklin, 2007. Photo: Ryan Arrowsmith
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NIGHTLIFE
Christina Applegate. Page 22. Photo: Amy Rivera. 4
A. D. Amorosi Robert Beck Jack Byer Peter Croatto Geoff Gehman George Miller
Marc Ponthus
Keith Uhlich
Wreckless Eric
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JAZZ LIBRARY Billy May
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HARPER’S FINDINGS
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HARPER’S INDEX
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L. A. TIMES CROSSWORD
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AGENDA
ICON | JUNE 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Bob Perkins
Avengers: Endgame
When They See Us
Joey Fonseca Lee McCorsky
András Schiff
ETCETERA
Pasolini
INTERNS
R. Kurt Osenlund
FILM ROUNDUP Domino
ON THE COVER:
Rita Kaplan
Bill Evans Trio
Markus Burger, Bob Magnusson & Peter Erskine CINEMATTERS
Susan Danforth
Mark Keresman 34 | JAZZ/ ROCK/CLASSICAL/ALT
STAGE
Tolkien 16 |
POP Rolling Stones
FILM 14 |
Biergartens
MUSIC
Marc Schimsky - Best Laid Plans
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DOCUMENTARY / FOREIGN
Heart of the Home Manayunk, PA
EDITORIAL Editor / trina@icondv.com
PRODUCTION Richard DeCosta
FOODIE FILE 30 |
PRESIDENT Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com
The Mustang
Amazing Grace
Haddonfield, NJ
215-862-9558 icondv.com facebook.com/icondv
Raina Filipiak / Advertising filipiakr@comcast.net
In the Last Days of the City
The Silverman Gallery
Since 1992
Gloria Bell
Woman at War
EXHIBITIONS
Haddonfield Crafts & Fine Art Festival
REEL NEWS
The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, nightlife and mad genius.
Subscription: $40 (12 issues) PO Box 120 • New Hope 18938 215-862-9558 ICON is published twelve times per year. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. ICON welcomes letters to the editor, editorial ideas and submissions, but assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. ICON is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. ©2019 Prime Time Publishing Co., Inc.
ART ESSAY & PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK
Going Global
D
OREEN AND I ARE flying to two weddings this year, one of which is in Italy. I like seeing new places, but boy do I hate getting there. Airports remind me of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. We decided to apply for TSA Precheck and Global Entry, to make the trips a little less awful. The TSA-Pre process was pretty simple—photo, finger scans, and a few questions of the “where were you born” and “have you ever hijacked an airplane” variety. Global Entry required filling out an online form listing places you’ve been, then waiting to be granted an interview. I, the infrequent traveler, was notified right away. Doreen, who has logged a bazillion miles around the globe, has been waiting for months. My interview was at Newark airport. The Customs and Border Protection office was in a corner of the luggage area—a circle of chairs outside a door with a sign instructing you to sit. Nothing about checking in. Just sit. Five people were already waiting in the applicant corral. I said, “Does somebody come out and get us?” They nodded. I sat. My fellow petitioners included two couples and a fashionable young woman wearing very torn jeans, all sharing the same look of weary discomfort. We sat in silence. A single black bag rode the empty carousel a few feet away, around and slowly around. Every now and then civilians would emerge from the office with a look of exhausted relief on their face, and quickly head for the exit. Our group had grown to eight when the door opened, and out came a tall man in a crisp black uniform, complete with gun, handcuffs and various enforcement tools snarled on his belt. He walked slowly into the corral, eyes fixed on his clipboard, flipping the top page up and back, a pendulous swing to his legs, from one person to the next—and now . . . we come . . . to you. He would pause and lift the page, ask for a last name, first name, and appointment time, drop the page back again, constantly investigating. The first couple tried to be pleasant, but it only caused a chill to sweep the room. Did you say something? There is only one way this is going to be done. Respond incorrectly and a trap door will open. I glanced at the orphaned bag on the carousel. Then Officer Clipboard stood at the front of our chair-circle and announced four names. Turn off your phones. All the way off. No silent, no vibrate. Off. Have your passport and driver’s license ready. One of the names he called was Robert, and another man stood up. I figured that must be his last name. It didn’t occur to me that an unsociable guy with a gun, clipboard, and shiny shoes, would be using first names, or that after studying the list that intently he wouldn’t notice two of the names were the same. When I realized it was supposed to be me and not the other Robert, the group was already moving into the interview room. The person ahead of me did-
n’t hold the door, which left me trying to turn off my phone, fish around in the file for my passport, get my driver’s license out of my wallet, and catch the door before it shut and locked. I was out of hands. I put my leg in the opening and rolled myself through, clutching everything to my body, hoping nothing got stripped in the process. My entry attracted the attention of Officer Clipboard, who glared at me from his desk. He pointed to a chair along the wall. There were four officers doing the interviewing. Clipboard took the young woman in jeans. I was interviewed by a pleasant officer who asked the same questions and took the same scans as the TSA-Pre interview. Then we had a relaxed conversation about where I lived and what I do, designed to drop my guard and blurt-out death to infidels if I was inclined. Interview complete, I gathered my stuff, walked swiftly across the room, and smashed into the locked door. Everybody turned and looked. Someone behind me said, “Push the button.” I saw a large red button off to the side, pressed it, and slammed into the door again. “Pull,” the voice said, in a tone reserved for those of diminished capacity. This time it opened, and I quickly made my way across the luggage area to the exit, past the rumbling carousel and the black bag on its dogged journey to nowhere. n ICON | JUNE 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV
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EXHIBITIONS
Tommy Conch by Thomas Laraia.
27th Annual Haddonfield Crafts & Fine Art Festival Haddonfield, along Kings Highway & Tanner St. Haddonfield, NJ Downtownhaddonfield.com East of the Park.
downtownhaddonfield.com/events/2019-arts-crafts-festival
Jennifer Hansen-Rolli: This Place
Sat., 7/13, 11–7 rain or shine Sun., 7/14, Noon–5 rain or shine
The Silverman Gallery 4920 York Road, Route 202, Holicong, PA 215-794-4300 Silvermangallery.com June 1–July 21 Opening Receptions, Sat. 6/1, 5–8; Sun. 6/2, 1–4 This Place, the paintings of Jennifer Hansen Rolli, is a celebration of many places and spaces, from the back roads of Bucks County to the sunshine yellow cab-jammed streets of New York. Rolli’s paintings invite us to discover and even re-discover this everyday world we live in, rich with light and color and awe-inspiring moments. Rolli’s paintings will stick with you long after you’ve experienced them, like music you carry in your head long after the notes have sounded.
This two-day outdoor festival attracts crowds of more than 100,000 people, and features more than 250 vendors showcasing the best of crafts and fine art from the region and beyond. As always, a curated selection of artisans exhibit a wide range of arts and crafts, including ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, fiber, metal, paper, drawings, paintings, photography, and wearable art. Enjoy the day visiting artists’ tents, outdoor cafés while listening to live music. Presented by Weichert. PATCO station is within steps of Kings Highway. Admission and parking are free.
Polymer Clay figures by Mary Lynne Moffatt.
Tinicum Arts Festival Tinicum Park, River Rd. (Rt. 32) Erwinna, PA Tinicumartsfestival.org July 6, 10–6; July 7, 11–5 The Tinicum Arts Festival returns to the shady grounds of Tinicum Park for its 70th year. Over 140 artists and crafters will display under the trees, and even more amazing art will be in the Art Barn, at the White Elephant and Collectibles tent, and choose from thousands of titles at the Book Wagon. Enjoy live musical entertainment while savoring freshsqueezed lemonade, a tasty sandwich or a homebaked dessert in the picnic grove. Free parking. The Tinicum Arts Festival is the primary fundraiser for the non-profit Tinicum Civic Association. The Festival is planned and run by volunteers. Proceeds are used to maintain the 1832 Stover Mill in Erwinna and to benefit over 30 other local non-profit organizations.
Along Aquetong Creek. 6
Toseland Glass - Brian Toseland.
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Baskets by Lynn Ebeling.
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EXHIBITIONS
Samantha Carell, Daydream (Detail).
30th Annual Manayunk Arts Festival Main Street, Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA Manayunk.com/events/manayunk-arts-festival.html Sat., 6/22, 11–7; Sun., 6/23, 11–6
Alex Sepkus Trunk Show Heart of the Home 28 S. Main St., New Hope, PA 215-896-1690 Heartofthehome.com June 22, 11–5 Heart of the Home presents renowned goldsmith, Alex Sepkus’s unique creations. Sepkus’s artistic vision is influenced by a myriad of inspirations, from the historical to the literary to the fantastical. His work is much sought after by lovers of fine art and connoisseurs of exceptional fine jewelry. Heart of the Home has proudly represented his work for more than a decade, and is pleased to continue its annual tradition of this special, expanded exhibition of his work during our 25th year in business. A oneday trunk show celebrating his gold and platinum rings, earrings, necklaces, and one-of-a-kind treasures. This is a rare opportunity to explore the depth and breadth of the artist’s expansive collection.
The tri-state area’s largest outdoor juried art festival continues with approximately 300 local and nationally-known artists and crafters from seven different disciplines: fiber, glass & ceramics, mixed media, painting & drawing, photography, and wood & sculpture. Nearly 200,000 collectors, buyers and designers visit Main Street for this event. Visitors can enjoy food and beverages from Manayunk’s restaurants and shop at unique boutiques and stores. More than 30 local and up-and-coming artists will be in the Emerging Artist Tent at the intersection of Main and Grape Streets throughout the weekend. Organized and operated by the Manayunk Development Corporation.
Marc Schimsky - Best Laid Plans “A” Space Gallery, 37 W. Bridge St., New Hope 631-921-6217 maschimsky@me.com Wed-Sun 11–8 Opening Reception 6/8, 8, 6–9 Through June 29 Non-objective and figurative abstraction is a comfortable and familiar place for Marc Schimsky. Schimsky mixes oil paint with a cold wax medium. What he enjoys most about the oil and cold wax process is the scraping, scratching and gouging of the layers of color. “If I manage to convey a moment lost or an encounter missed, then I’ve accomplished a lot…something mysterious and magical.”
Jim Spillane, India, Assam River.
Matthew Sattulo, Philadelphia Skyline. 8
Looking Toward the Future.
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Eternal.
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STAGE VALLEY
CITY
Bohemia. Created by Noah Dach. From the creator of Wild and Tal: Beyond Imagination comes an all-new allages circus experience—the story of a group of childhood friends, dreaming of a spectacular future: space travel, spotlights, and true love. As their dreams unfold, we see them embark on a journey of self-discovery, making the brave leap together into an unknown future. This poignant story offers a world of imagination, created through dance, humor, magic, and high-flying aerial theatrics—truly a tale for all ages. Muhlenberg College, Studio Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. June 26–July 30. muhlenberg.edu/academics/theatre-dance/smt/bohemia
Minors. A Murderers’ Row of Philly theater innovation: Director Matthew Decker, lyricists and composers Kittson O’Neill and Robert Kaplowitz, find themselves with an experimental, darkly dramatic musical on their hands sparked by the real life “kids for cash” scandal in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County. The music touches on rootsy Americana and the story is about the corruption and politicization of the criminal justice system. Lantern Theater Company. Through June 30. lanterntheater.org
Fun Home. [Review] This harrowing, hilarious, haunting musical is based on cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about growing up lesbian in a Pennsylvania funeral home dominated by a father distracted and tortured by his desire for young men. Civic Theatre of Allentown’s production was so intimate, so expansive, so familiar, it practically transported me from seat to stage. Rip Cantelmi was vigorously flinty and fractured as Bruce, the talented, loving, control-freak dad. He gave a vivid impression of an impressive tree slowly rotting and falling. Kate Pistone amplified the foggy clarity, the blissful bittersweetness, of the adult Alison, who eavesdrops on her past selves. She remained a buzzing presence even on the periphery. Madeleine Huggins absolutely nailed college-age Alison’s goofy ecstasy in a delightful ditty about majoring in a first lover. Golda Rabin’s young Alison was beguilingly innocent, poised and alert, especially when she sang about falling for an older girl with a sexy ring of keys. Director William Sanders cast the show exceptionally well; Cantelmi, for example, works at his family’s venerable Bethlehem funeral-home business. Balancing exquisitely between levity and lack of levity, Sanders made the cathartic finale, an Alison trio, practically levitate with joy.
City of Angels. Fave Philly actor and crooner Jeff Coon and his 17-piece musical ensemble, The Summer Club, tackle1990’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical from Larry Gelbart, David Zipple, and Cy Coleman about double world wheelings and dealings with a film noir twist, and a crooked detective in every shadow. 11th Hour Theatre Company. June 7 and 8. 11thhourtheatrecompany.org
Bring It On: The Musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda cocreated this 2012 adaptation of the 2000 movie about cut-throat high-school cheerleading competitions. Like the film, the play is crammed with rivalries, romances, likely alliances, unlikely friendships and magnetic marriages of traditional and radical moves. Twists include a transgender character and a tryout in a leprechaun mascot costume. Baker Center for the Arts, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, June 13-16, 19-23, 26-30. muhlenberg.edu/academics/theatre-dance/smt/bringiton
The Great Leap. InterACT company artistic boss Seth Rozin directs this warmly humorous and rousing script from playwright Lauren Yee about hometowns in San Francisco and Communist China, and the hot shot basketball youth who finds his personal journey on and off the court, traveling between both cities. InterACT Theatre Company. Through June 23. interacttheatre.org Betty’s Summer Vacation by Christopher Durang. Tart British playwright Durang’s acidic 1999 comedy come with a warning: “This production is for a mature audience only due to language, violence, dismemberment, and sexual content.” That’s probably due to its search for a severed penis and its outlook on sexual (not so smooth) criminal mastermind Michael Jackson. Heady stuff and very au courant. The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium. June 11 to June 30. idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org n
— GEOFF GEHMAN ICON | JUNE 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV
Puppets Here & There. Director and playwright Joe Sabatino (puppeteer and puppet builder for PBS, Disney, and The Jim Henson Co.) gathers some of Philly’s top tier comic acting talents (Dave Jadico, David Dritsas, Emily Davis, Alexis Howland) for a multimedia, audience-suggestion session of improvised comedy theater. You can see it play out live on stage, or through a live video “puppets-only” version. CSz Philadelphia. June 7–June 21. comedysportzphilly.com Summer Shorts. Director Patricia Dominguez’s summer season kickoff is a packedtight series of tiny devised theater bits, favorite characters from shows from its last season and new characters wriggled into weird circumstance. (The Philadelphia Cultural Fund helped pay for this, so yay.) June 8. adhk.org
Falsettos. James Lapine, a frequent collaborator with Stephen Sondheim, co-wrote this Sondheimian Chinese box. Marvin, a childish neurotic, surfs life’s tidal waves with an argumentative gay lover, an even more challenging ex-wife, a confused son and a lecherous psychiatrist. Operetta-like interludes and nearly 40 songs are required to explore women’s rights, chess, racquetball, baseball, lesbian neighbors and a bar mitzvah in the hospital room of a companion dying from AIDS. Lipkin Theatre, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Rd., Bethlehem, June 19-23, 26-30 n
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Indecent. Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel’s theater piece with music touches on splintered lesbian relationships amidst the creation of the controversial Yiddish play God of Vengeance. Brilliant, and directed by Rebecca Wright, this production promises seductive joys and intellectually stirring dialogue. Arden Theatre Company. Through June 23. ardentheatre.org
— A.D. AMOROSI
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JUNE NIGHTLIFE CURATED BY A.D. AMOROSI
12 AL DI MEOLA
The smoothly flowing guitarist forever associated with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever always has magic and
videos for “When the Party’s Over,” “Bury a Friend,” and “Bad Guy” rated tops among YouTube abusers, expect this show at The Met to be the last time you see her in an intimate venue as such. The Met. themetphilly.com
bums such as Turtleneck & Chain— and their innate knowledge of each other’s skillset is what makes this troupe so funny. The Met Philadelphia. themetphilly.com
23 LOW CUT CONNIE
Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard all rolled into one modern rock n’ roller is how to best define Philly’s Adam
19 HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR 16 THE JAYHAWKS
At the same time that Wilco, Uncle Tupelo and Old 97 was starting its
Latin-laced, rapid fire flamenco licks up his sleeve. SteelStacks at ArtsQuest, Bethlehem. steelstacks.org 13 THE MARSHALL ALLEN W/SUN RA & SOUNDS OF LIBERATION
The late weird keyboard king of Germantown (Ra) placed his playful avant-garde spirit in the soul of his longtime saxophonist, arranger and friend Marshall Allen, a man who has lived on and lived out the Ra dream. And then some. Along with celebrating Allen’s 95th birthday, that same neighborhood’s Sounds of Liberation – the 70’s socio-conscious free jazzfunk ensemble Union Transfer. utphilly.com 15 BILLIE EILISH
As the rat tag fashionista tween girl queen of Soundcloud pop-punk-hop, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell—
10th Anniversary w/The Turtles, Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Buckinghams, Classics IV, The Cowsills. The whitest, poppiest look at the tail end of the upbeat, harmony-happy, safe-as-milk version of the ’60s—no Manson, Vietnam or psychedelia here—has forever been a joyful triumphant noise, and having it last 10 years is worth celebrating. Keswick Theatre. keswicktheatre.com
Weiner and his punk-and-soulful Low Cut Connie. SteelStacks at ArtsQuest, Bethlehem. steelstacks.org 24 KRISTIN HERSCH
22 BRENDA K. STARR + OPTIMO
earthy ride to the top of the dusty, musty Americana charts, so was The Jayhawks. Only the latter managed deep authenticity and richer harmonies. So who do you choose? SteelStacks at ArtsQuest, Bethlehem. steelstacks.org
The modern disco senorita from the ’80s has soul to spare as she enters a career in zesty, sensual salsa.
The once-and-still Throwing Muses member brings her own brand of solo haunting, soulful, lo-fi punking balladry to So. Broad St. Boot & Saddle. bootandsaddlephilly.com 27, 28, 29 MICHAEL CHE
Che is best known as the co-head writer of Saturday Night Live with
16 JOSH GROBAN
Grobanites on this side of the state, unite. The man with biggest, clearest baritone and a way with contemporary Tin Pan Alley tunes shows up and puts out. Giant Center, Hershey, PA. hersheyentertainment.com/giant-center 19 THE LONELY ISLAND
For its first multi-city tour, The Lonely Island hit up Philly first. That’s cool.
SteelStacks at ArtsQuest, Bethlehem, steelstacks.org 22 DIDO
Eminem’s original—and still reigning—serene, female vocal sparring partner returns to the recording and
Colin Jost, as well as its “Weekend Update” co-host. What he’s going to do as stand-up with a DJ as part of the set is anybody’s guess. (Four shows, three nights.) Union Transfer, utphilly.com 28 THE SMITHEREENS
Billie Eilish to the masses—has been making mirthful atmospheric music since 2016 and her debut single Ocean Eyes. Now with a number one album under her belt, Eilish’s debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, and her 12
Though I’m uncomfortable with the fact that these guys got a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance, the song satirists of this comedy trio, Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone, have been playing their trade since junior high— long before their time making short films on Saturday Night Live and al-
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touring fold with her chipper Englishness intact. Union Transfer. utphilly.com
With guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw. After the death of their principle songwriter and soulful huskyvoiced singer —the beloved Pat DiNuzio—the heavy power pop of The Smithereens lingers on an old friend at the mic: power popping giant and pal Marshall Crewshaw. Should be lovely to watch. SteelStacks at ArtsQuest, Bethlehem. steelstacks.org n
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CINEMATTERS MARK KERESMAN
Tolkien ONE OF THE FREQUENT bones of contention with regard to many biopics is the viewer does not get a comprehensive picture of its subject. This is not the case with Tolkien, directed by Dome Karukoski and starring Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, and Colm Meaney. Tolkien is a biography of the formative years of British fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, whose Middle Earth literary universe Lord of the Rings has proven so popular (and influential) in the 20th and 21st centuries. The approach is essentially chronological— from Tolkien’s humble origins as a poor orphan to his childhood in the bleak industrial environs of Birmingham, his university years at Oxford and then his service in the Royal Army in the First World War to his development as an author. Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies) vividly portrays the vulnerability and tenacity of a working-class youth in an “exclusive” environment as he forms enduring friendships with classmates and pursues academic interests focused on literature and language. First love naturally is also 14
an influence—Lily Collins shines as Edith, the object of his devotion (perhaps his “princess” inspiration). His classmates also have artistic ambitions (discouraged by their parents, of course) and they provide support and feedback for each other along with sturdy bonds of friendship. World War I had, perhaps unsurprisingly, a major impact upon his writing—the fantastic quests and battles of Tolkien’s characters, forged already in his youth (we see his mother reading him tales as a wee lad), were advanced and enriched by the hellish setting of war. Dome Karukoski presents chilling portraits of battle, matter-of-fact and unsentimental but with fantastic hints of fancy—a German soldier with a flame thrower can be seen as a modern variant of a firebreathing dragon; Tolkien the soldier making his quest through a virtual slaughterhouse to find a friend who’s part of the Army’s thrust through the No Man’s Land of yore. Judicious but vivid use of special effects provide visual parallels with the to-be-phantasmagorical battles of Middle Earth.
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There are aspects of this biography that can be viewed as allegorical but not in a heavy-handed manner. Returning from the war and embracing married life, Tolkien goes into academia before channeling the sum total of his experiences into the fiction that would make him immortal. There are some excellent supporting players: Colm Meany is typically and eloquently crusty and hardheaded as the priest who is young Tolkien’s legal guardian, and Derek Jacobi is a delight as the genial, slightly eccentric professor that shares and nurtures Tolkien’s passion for ancient languages. Hoult is excellent throughout, convincingly conveying vulnerability and stubbornness without ever going over-thetop or becoming quirky. He plays a young person that grows into this writer who achieved almost mythic status—we live with him as he becomes the Tolkien of yore. This film is long and leisurely paced but never dull, and ends as he embarks upon writing the stories that make him a legend. Tolkien makes you feel him as a person, not simply a historical figure. n
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FILM ROUNDUP
Guy Pearce and Eriq Ebouaney in Domino.
KEITH UHLICH
Avengers: Endgame (Dirs. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo). Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin. The moguls at Marvel Studios close out a decade-plus of superhero saturation with this ostensible finale to the intertwining sagas of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce “The Hulk” Banner (Mark Ruffalo), et al. It would be tempting to describe Endgame, in which all caped and non-caped crusaders go after purple megalomaniac Thanos (Josh Brolin), as a bloated 181minute monstrosity. But that would be imparting some sense of genuine human feeling to what is a transparently cold and calculating enterprise. (At least indigestion lets you know you're alive.) The outcomes, even the tragic ones, are never in doubt. And the filmmaking is functional at best, anonymous at worst; if there were any truth in advertising the credited director would be “Green Screen.” You can feel the movie slipping from your mind as you watch it, as if the genocidal Thanos were snapping his Infinity Stone-bedecked fingers every thirty seconds or so. The forgetting proves to be a blessing. [PG-13] H Domino (Dir. Brian De Palma). Starring: Carice van Houten, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Guy Pearce. The production process on Brian De Palma’s latest—a sly, succinct and provocative Euro-thriller—was fraught, with incompetent producers and copious money troubles among the many issues. Yet somehow, De Palma and 16
his team concocted a formidable work. Game of Thrones vets Carice van Houten and Nikolaj CosterWaldau play a pair of Danish cops investigating the murder of one of their own. Islamic terrorists and the CIA, the latter led by a deliciously officious Guy Pearce, are involved. But the main culprit (the villain in the shadows) is technology itself: television, the Internet, surveillance cameras, and drones—all tools utilized by the characters (and not just the villains) to sow discord and division. The ways in which people process upsetting images is a key concern. One prime De Palma setpiece, dizzyingly filmed in split-screen, even takes place at a film festival. And the final shot— which visualizes a sort of virtual world slate-cleaning—is among this great director’s most incendiary. [R] HHHH Pasolini (Dir. Abel Ferrara). Starring: Willem Dafoe, Ninetto Davoli, Riccardo Scamarcio. Though Abel Ferrara’s excellent biopic charts the last day in the life of the Italian poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini (at the end of which he will be murdered by a male prostitute), there is little of the depressive sense of inevitability that afflicts many a true-life tale with a preordained outcome. Willem Dafoe plays Pasolini much as he did Christ in Scorsese’s Last Temptation, as a fleshand-blood man upon whom iconic stature has been forced. He has a mask for every scenario, which also extends to his words: Among “respectable” society (family, financiers, interviewers), this avatar Pasolini
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speaks English. But in his imagination and during his clandestine homosexual encounters, he thinks and talks in Italian. The language games are just one of Ferrara’s aesthetic strategies. He also visualizes scenes from the film (a to-the-stars-and-back philosophical fable) that the director was working on before he died, featuring one of Pasolini’s regulars, Ninetto Davoli. This is a strange and sublime love letter from one firebrand artist to another. [N/R] HHHH1/2 When They See Us (Dir. Ava DuVernay). Starring: Jharrel Jerome, Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Marquis Rodriguez. The (mostly) tragic and (semi) triumphant tale of the wrongly convicted youths known as “The Central Park Five” is retold in co-writer and director Ava DuVernay's prosaic four-part drama, which is premiering on Netflix. Episode one explores the racist, hysteria-fueled manhunt for the black perpetrator(s) who raped a white female investment banker. Episode two details the two trials that ended with the quintet, all sixteen and under, sentenced to long stretches in prison. Neither episode is especially captivating since, as an artist, DuVernay tends to dirgelike tedium. She’s on a bit surer footing in parts three and four as she details the boys’ rough times in prison and afterward (Moonlight’s Jharrel Jerome, who carries most of the final installment, is especially affecting as Korey Wise). This is still an angry story told with little infectious pulse or passion. [N/R] HH n
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REEL NEWS
John Turturro and Julianne Moore in Gloria Bell. Photo courtesy of A24 Films.
DVDS REVIEWED BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER
Gloria Bell (dir. Sebastián Lelio). Starring Julianne Moore, John Turturro. This slice-of-life storyline focuses on how, even as life goes on repetitively day after day, extraordinary meaning can come from ordinary routine experiences. The existential heart of the movie illustrates that you only get out of life what you put into it. As a fiftyish divorcee and mundane insurance adjustor, Gloria (Moore) ravishes both the high points and heartbreaks of her life. From singing along with her radio at full volume to wearing over-sized eyeglasses (which perfectly express how she views life), and wild dancing at her favorite mature-aged disco club, she exuberantly gives her whole self to every moment. She’s a free spirit unafraid to fully immerse herself in the thrill of the moment when she smokes a joint with her friends or meets an attractive man at the club. But a deeper side of her laissez-lesbon-temps-rouler nature reveals a hidden longing when she meets Arnold (Turturro), a needy divorcee 18
desperate to reinvent his broken life. As romance blooms between the two opposites, Arnold falls wildly in love and Gloria struggles to accept the depth of her new feelings without relinquishing control of her freewheeling zest for life. [R] HHHH Woman at War (dir. Benedikt Erlingsson). Starring Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurðarson, Juan Camillo Roman Estrada. Vibrantly filmed and courageously acted, this zany Icelandic saga follows the unlikely hero’s journey of a woman trying to save her small country from ruin by a polluting industry. Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir plays the role of Halla, a beloved choir director who frequently disappears into the rugged countryside to fulfill her inner Don Quixote. She also plays her alter-ego, yoga-teaching twin sister Ása, who turns her back on the world to go to India in search of inner peace. Whether Halla is an environmental activist fighting to save the
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world from climate change, or an eco-terrorist sabotaging industrial progress, she single-handedly battles a Chinese-funded aluminum smelting plant by downing giant power lines. As the government closes in on her with satellite surveillance, and soldiers ordered to shoot to kill, her exploits become a media sensation. The stakes get higher and the inner conflict becomes excruciating when Halla’s long-ago application to adopt is finally approved and a fouryear-old girl is available. Combining global politics, environmental issues, and an off-the-wall woman’s bizarre crusade to save the world, this exciting movie creates a magical balance between absurdity, irony, and creative storytelling. In Icelandic with English subtitles. [nr] HHHH
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DOCUMENTARY MARK KERESMAN
Aretha Franklin, 1991. Photo: Michel Haddi.
Amazing Grace
FOR YOUNGER READERS, THE late Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) was, simply put, one of the greatest singers America has produced. Her career began in 1956 and ended just last year, along the way winning 18 Grammy Awards and selling around 75 million records globally. Like her contemporary Elvis Presley, Franklin synthesized different strands of American music—rhythm & blues, gospel, pop, and more—and wrought an indestructible alloy that transcends generations, languages, trends, everything. Franklin emerged from a gospel background and while that was always at the core of her style, after years of mainstream success, she wanted to focus on gospel. Over two nights in January 1972, Franklin recorded the all-gospel album Amazing Grace live at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Director Sydney Pollock (The Way We Were, Tootsie, The Firm) was to document this event. For reasons technical and legal (not really discussed in the film), the movie was never released. The footage languished in a vault until producer Alan Elliott assembled it, and the finished product was widely released this year. Amazing Grace is not a straightforward concert film—Pollock, in cinema verité style, covered the rehearsals and the performances that made the event, intercutting back and forth between the two. This approach grants more heft to the proceed20
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ings—we see and hear the work and inspiration that went into the final product. Talk about blood, sweat and tears—Grace presents it all: the making of a song; the nervousness and stimulus of the performers; Franklin looking anxious before singing a few songs despite her many years of experience; the discipline and spontaneity of performance; dealing with equipment set-ups; and a few peeks at the mostly rapt audience. (Look for Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts amid the throng.) One can virtually feel the perspiration on Franklin’s face, and the excitement of the onlookers and performers. For music nerds, musicians Chuck Rainey and Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, often heard (they’ve played on countless recording sessions) but seldom seen, are captured here, live, in their glory. The musical highlights are too many to list, but special mention must be made of the astonishing medley of the gospel standard “Precious Lord,” and Carole King’s pop classic “You’ve Got A Friend”; the stirring “Mary Don’t You Weep”; and the title song. Not to imply she slacked off later in her career, but Franklin was arguably at the peak of her vocal powers in the early 1970s. Judging music—especially vocalists—can be very subjective, but fans of Aretha, R&B, soul, African-American gospel, classic American music, and concert documentaries—run, don’t walk to this movie. n
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INTERVIEW R. KURT OSENLUND
Christina Applegate Right On Top
The comedic actress who built her fanbase with shows like Married... With Children and movies like Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead has come a long way, and now she’s doing some of the finest work in the biz on the Netflix series Dead to Me.
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CHRISTINA APPLEGATE GIVES THE performance of her life in Dead to Me, a twisty, dark, uncompromising dramedy that’s been the toast of Netflix since its series premiere last month. Set in Southern California, the show casts Applegate as Jen, a real estate agent and mother of two who grapples with anger issues long before her husband, Ted, is killed in a hit and run. The accident, and Jen’s subsequent grief, sit at the core of the story, and they lead the cynical antiheroine to a support group where she meets Judy (Linda Cardellini), another woman who’s suffered loss but is carrying a hefty vault of secrets. Despite Jen’s general aversion to other humans (especially the local cops who have zero leads on Ted’s death), she embraces Judy as both gal pal and kindred spirit. Both actresses bring flawless work to a brilliantly complex friendship dynamic, but Applegate seems to have cut herself open for her role, exposing every feeling and fear in her body to capture Jen’s rollercoaster ride of emotions. “There were some other actresses up for the part,” Applegate says from her home in Los Angeles, where she frequently reacts to her dog, who’s bounding around the house. “But [series creator] Liz Feldman fought for me, believed in me, and wanted me for the role. She asked me if I was ready to go to some really intense and dark places. And I said, ‘Yeah. Let’s do it.’” In every way, Jen seems like the role that Applegate’s life has been prepping her for, both personally and professionally. From Married...with Children and Samantha Who? to a wide array of Hollywood movies, the actress has always been a comedic powerhouse, often mixing deadpan banter with game theatrics. In Dead to Me, the humor is about as dry as it gets, with many of the laughs coming courtesy of Jen and her grief-fueled, fuck-this-shit vocabulary of obscenities. The character is always sympathetic (given what she’s lost and the shrewd sensitivity of the show’s writers), but no one in Dead to Me is immune to Jen’s sharp tongue. “It’s very much my own sense of humor,” Applegate says, even if she’s not likely to go cursing out officers at a police station. “Jen and I are both really snarky. Most of the material was already on the page, but some of it poured out of me, too. I think the scene where I scream ‘twat’ was definitely not in the script.” Feldman seems to have also lovingly shaped Jen’s journey and backstory around Applegate’s own. There are the subtle touches, such as when Jen takes a dance class, which harkens back to the actress’s own dance background (among other things, she was a founding member of The Pussycat Dolls, before the all-girl burlesque act was transformed into a pop group). And then there are the emotional wallops, like Jen’s revelation of a battle with breast cancer that resulted in a double mastectomy. In 2008, Applegate’s real-life breast cancer diagnosis was heavily covered by the media, as was her double mastectomy that ultimately left her cancer free. And like Jen, Applegate is a mother, raising her 8-year-old daughter, Sadie Grace, with her husband, musician Martyn LeNoble. None of these parallels feel like pandering back-pats or bone-tosses to the show’s leading lady, because every one of them feels thoroughly natural and true to Jen’s path. To be fully formed, Dead to Me needed a star who’s lived, who’s lost, who’s seen a few things, who’s gotten back up, and who can laugh and cry about it—a lot. “Yeah, I’ve had quite a life,” says Applegate, who’s 47, and embraces the natural beauty of that age in the show—the makeup is never heavy, and a small scar between the eyebrows adds character to both Jen and Applegate. “I’ve experienced loss and grief, and a lot of grief that no one even knows about.” Whatever that is or was, Applegate channels it into all manner of scenes in Dead to Me, from a public berating of Judy that blows up as their friendship evolves, to a traumatic, post-sexual assault breakdown that occurs while Jen’s hunting down her husband’s killer. The lack of emotional limits in Applegate’s work is as shocking as the show’s surprises,
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Photo: Amy Rivera.
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INTERVIEW A.D. AMOROSI
N Patti Lupone
AMED AFTER A 1940 COLE Porter song, and as dedicated to the sounds of the Great White Way and Tin Pan Alley, past and present, as it is her youth in Long Island, Patti Lupone’s “Don’t Monkey with Broadway” could be yet another of her Tony Award-winning musicals, tense dramas, or yarn-ripping comedies. Each song that Lupone executes has more nuanced theatrical arcs than A Doll’s House and A Doll’s House II, combined, and twice the emotion. This concert-setting soliloquy—nestled at the Kimmel Center on June 9—is all talking, all singing and all Lupone kicking ass on songs from composers such as Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, and Stephen Sondheim, productions such as Evita, Gypsy, Sweet Charity, and Oklahoma! And, as opinionated as Lupone is, she’s taking numbers (surely, she’ll rip on Trump as she did in this interview). I caught up to her on the morning of the Obie Awards in Manhattan, making tea and prepping her laundry.
Broadway, Her Way With her “Don’t Monkey with Broadway” showcase at the Kimmel Center, the Tony Award-winning singer and actress sings her life story. And at a reasonable volume.
As a youth on the stage you worked with who you could get and did what you could. As an award-winning star, you all but have your choice of collaborators and music. As a legend, you can do absolutely anything you damn well please, experiment, craft your own concerts. What do you look for within the adventure of music—songs and collaborators? If it’s a musical, I just look for really great directors. That’s the only reason I did [Sondheim’s] Company in London—because I wanted to work with Marianne Elliott. I’m actually not that kind of person, though. I don’t look for things, because I never get them. If I audition, I don’t get the part. So I sort of let the universe bring things into my sphere. That’s how I operate now. It’s too depressing to lose a role, or not get a role. What comes my way is what I’m supposed to be doing. Would you say that once something does come your way, it’s instinct that becomes your guide as to how you’ll tackle it, or is there something else? Oh, instinct. Is the same thing true when you’re handling songs—rather than entire staged and choreographed musicals—the likes of which fill “Don’t Monkey with Broadway”? It’s stuff that I—and I alone—want. “Don’t Monkey with Broadway” is stuff
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Patti Lupone. Photo:Rahav Segev.
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that’s been in my life since I was a child. It’s stuff that shows how I wound up on the Broadway musical stage. That’s what this show is about. And it’s the music I grew up with.
could confuse your level of precision and exactitude with confidence. Do you feel as if as an artist you’re always confident? No, not at all. I still have nerves. I still get scared. Being onstage—putting yourself in front of a lot of people—is nerve-wracking. It doesn’t get easier.
Do you recall the very first song you fell in love with, and why you fell in love with it? I do. It’s in the show. I don’t know exactly why I fell in love with it, but, I remember… I don’t want to give the show away… ah, the question is why these songs, right? And maybe I don’t know why beyond that they were beautiful. I didn’t fully understand what I was hearing—I was so young—but they were beautiful. If I was
Lupone sang “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” in a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber at the 2018 Grammys.
Lupone as Joanne in a London production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company.
alone in the house when I was listening to this music, these songs transported me. I was imagining the action of what the lyrics were saying. What do you think you see in yourself as an artist that people miss? I think that I’ve been given the opportunity to display a variety of emotions. I can’t imagine what they haven’t seen.
You’ve been called the queen of the modern musical. No doubt. You’ve executed older works such as Gypsy—Broadway’s origin stories—with equal aplomb. How do you feel about where staged musical melody is in the present? The Pasek & Pauls of the world, post-Rent, and its very opened-ended phrasing? This is how I feel about new musicals now: I wish the sound department would turn it down so that I can hear it. I can’t hear musicals anymore because they’re just too loud. That’s been for a long time. I went to Hadestown, and I thought that would be too loud—what, an alternative rock, or alternative folk musical—and it was better. Or at least better than other recent musicals that I’ve seen. Such loudness means that you can’t hear the lyrics. You can’t hear the dynamics in the music. I don’t know why they bother to orchestrate. Why do they think that I’m deaf—that I have to play the sound at such loud levels? The band is mixed at the same level as the voice. If there’s fortissimo, if there’s volume—you can’t tell the difference. IT. IS. TOO. LOUD. That’s depressing. Don’t you find that? Yes, but I also come from a pop place where I know that such volume is necessary. They’re mixing for—and this lacks a better way of putting it—a younger generation’s ears. Why are they making under-18-year-olds go deaf, though? They’re second-guessing an audience. Thinking about you and your level of activism, it strikes me as funny that two of the most prominent actors in New York City—you and Robert DeNiro—are the two most vocal critics of President Trump. Would you say that it’s because you’ve watched him through of all his years as a loudmouthed developer in Manhattan? Oh, definitely. I’ve seen him be that level blowhard since the late ’70s and ’80s. This guy is dangerous. And you just don’t know what he’s going to do next. What he has done though—and mark my words—the damage will be irreparable. Do you feel as if “Don’t Monkey with Broadway” is a respite from such headaches and heartaches? I hope so. Sometimes, though, I feel as if I’m not doing enough—me singing my songs. That perhaps I should be out there protesting.
As Helena Rubinstein in War Paint on Broadway.
See, I think that critics miss the great nuance in what you do, that you’re often gnawing at the sinew of a song’s dynamics or a lyrical phrase like a rib. OK, one 26
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I think that you’ll have plenty of chances outside of your concert to raise a protest banner. I’m pretty sure you’re right. n
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Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate in a scene from Dead to Me. Photo: Netflix.
and nothing she’s done previously can prepare you for it. It’s one of the reasons why, as of press time, she doesn’t have another project lined up, unless, of course, the series is renewed for a second season. “There were some days that were extremely exhausting,” Applegate says, the memory of the process seeming to emanate through her words. “I’m fine just being a mom right now, and seeing how the show evolves.” Applegate had best get her rest in, because it seems inconceivable that Dead to Me wouldn’t be greenlit for season two. It’s one of the most-talked about shows of the year among viewers and media outlets (with many postulating what the first season’s finale means or could mean), and it’s a hit among critics, with USA Today calling it “impeccably acted and written,” and Vanity Fair declaring that Applegate “rises to [the show’s] calling with the confident commitment of an old pro.” It’s also yet another example of how streaming services like Netflix are making room for not just complicated female characters, and not just roles for beloved actresses that don’t fit Hollywood’s formulas, but for women and other sidelined creatives to have an outlet for their own work. Netflix also recently gave us Russian Doll, a similarly challenging tragicomedy starring the underrated Natasha Lyonne, whom Applegate is quick to acknowledge produced the show as well. (Applegate is an executive producer on Dead to Me.) One of the many perks of this approach to programming is that, with women behind the camera and in front of it, we get to see some of the most authentic depictions of female lives and relationships in the history of entertainment. While she’s done the witty arm-candy bit in films like Anchorman and its sequel, Applegate has always come off as an actress who’s thoroughly enjoying the 28
process of her projects, especially when those projects involve starring opposite other women. An unsung gem in her filmography is the 2002 comedy The Sweetest Thing, which saw her, Cameron Diaz, and Selma Blair play three sexually empowered San Francisco women who don’t filter their language or behavior for the status quo. The gonzo road movie—which was a bit like Sex and the City, only goofier and on the West Coast—was no box-office smash, but it was still a groundbreaker that came years before Bridesmaids proved that funny, brash women had theatrical clout. “It was really the first female-led, hard-R comedy,” Applegate says, noting that the studio behind it was quite nervous, and that certain scenes that have grown iconic for cult fans of the DVD release (like an impromptu, restaurant-set performance of “The Penis Song,” which is just what it sounds like), was omitted from the initial release. “I don’t think people were ready to hear or see women talk and behave like that.” But Applegate was, as were her co-stars, with whom, again, she had palpable fun, and with whom she’s still friendly. (She notes that Blair, who recently went very public with her own health struggles—with MS—”is going to help a lot of people.”) This same unmistakable camaraderie exists between Applegate and Cardellini on Dead to Me, and without it, the messy, gorgeous, ever-peeling onion of a relationship between Jen and Judy wouldn’t have half of its engrossing potency. Secrets, lies, rage, and affection swirl around the bond of these women like a hurricane, and the true miracle of the show is that its actresses and its creators anchor all of it to a visceral, unconditional love that seems unbreakable, no matter the hurdle or infraction. There’s nothing else like it in today’s entertainment landscape. “We had to have
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each other’s backs constantly,” Applegate says of herself and Cardellini. “We were in this journey together, and there were some really rough moments for both of us to get through. People have tried to suggest a romance between Jen and Judy, and there’d be nothing wrong with that if that’s where the story went, but that isn’t what it’s about. Sometimes people just genuinely love each other because of the experiences they share, and it’s not so easily explained. And I can personally say that, now, Linda has become someone who I truly love with all my heart.” Despite all her delectable flaws, the character of Jen is someone who, in modern vernacular, would be dubbed a certified “boss.” And while it is a role that Applegate’s been headed toward for decades, being a boss is something the actress has thrived in since her first major film role. The year was 1991, and the movie was Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, another cult fave that saw Applegate play Sue Ellen, a fun-loving teenager who has to step up and support her siblings when their crotchety old babysitter suddenly kicks the bucket. Faking a resume and donning the glorious retro clothes of her mother (who’s vacationing in Australia), Sue Ellen lands a high-end gig at a corporate clothing company, quickly climbing the ladder and fabulizing their approach to designing uniforms. The ultra-quotable movie (“I’m right on top of that, Rose!”) has become a bona fide classic, especially among millennials, which still surprises Applegate. “I was just thrilled to have an actual trailer on set,” she says. When told that the movie’s oh-so-’90s fashion is making a big comeback, Applegate says she’ll pass on the neon and shoulder pads. “I’m cool with my mom wardrobe,” she says, “This sweater and these jeans.” n
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FOODIE FILE A.D. AMOROSI
Biergartens Independence Beer Garden.
IT ALWAYS SEEMS WEIRD to me that this city has a “Philly Beer Week” at the top of the month, as every week, day and minute is a beer thing here what with all of our craft brew innovation and market infiltration. Right—and still, by the time that the PBW (not be confused with PBR, shudder the thought for crafties) is through, this city and its surrounding area’s wealth of new and old beirgartens/beer gardens will be open and ready to roar.
Morgan’s Pier.
UPTOWN BEER GARDEN For Downtown’s Philly’s office building swillers dying for Happy Hour once the noon bell strikes, Uptown Beer Garden is the cat’s whiskers. Now in its fifth year, the UPG has expanded its brew menu to include five new beers created by the venue’s brewer Craft Concepts Group (the people behind BRU and Blume) and Alex Bokulich (in collaboration with other local brewmasters), along with welcoming back the home team Uptown IPA. The new beers (Lime City Lager brewed in collaboration with Love City Brewing to be an upscale Corona, a Germanic wheat beer-y Garden Weisse, a Sly Fox-meets-Craft Concepts’ Bay 6 Pils, the Evil Genius collab I Love You All…But You’re Terrible mango blonde ale, and a bittersweet Party Boy Delco’s 2SP Brewing Company pale ale) together with a new menu such as Avocado BLT and pork belly banh mi, and taco options like chicken bacon ranch should mean no one goes home unsatisfied. BNY Mellon Building, 1735 JFK Blvd., Philadelphia LONGWOOD GARDENS BEER GARDEN There are so many sense-heightening reasons to hit Longwood Gardens with the family such as its evening light shows and occasional quaint concert offerings. But, Kennett Square’s bosses of botany hooked up a sweetly elegant beer garden space with beers from Victory Brewing. 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, PA INDEPENDENCE BEER GARDEN Directly across from all things historic Old City Philly, chef-owner Michael Schulson’s game-playing paradise by the Bell (bocce is my favorite) outdoor beer hall is equally fantastic for its 40 taps, as it is its cuisine of spitroasted pork, mountainous burgers and fried cheese curds. For dessert, have a few liquor laced and popsicles. 100 S. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia
Parx Casino.
SALMON PANTS BREWERY: CRAFT BEER, FOOD, WINE & COCKTAILS The answer to any question about spawning fish wearing trousers comes courtesy of the Lehigh Valley’s newest brew space, one with a sparkling innovative menu of brews and chews—and open mic nights. This is a recipe for madness, I tell you. 100 E Susquehanna St, Allentown, PA EVIL GENIUS BEER GARDEN The brewmasters at Evil Genius are as diabolical as their name, and finally made good on last year’s promise to stay open full time with six taps and ample water bowl options for pets, something that means the world to me and my greyhound, Django. 1727 Front Street, Philadelphia MORGAN’S PIER The Philadelphia waterfront’s coolest (only, really) hip huge outdoor bar with DJs and live bands holds sway is a brew lovers paradise with its host of “monthly mini beer fests” and menu items such as stuffed full “fatbreads” and jerk chicken stuff, to say nothing of its Mainstay Independent Brewing Co. beer options like Pier Beer and Harness Bend. 221 N. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia PARX CASINO BEER GARDEN Gambling and beer? That’s fantastic. Even cooler is that Parx’s 24-tap beer space—which set them back a pretty multi-million dollar penny—has a retractable glass roof and walls. 2999 Street Rd., Bensalem, PA
Uptown Beer Garden.
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BIERGARTEN ATLANTIC CITY Speaking of rolling dice and gulping beer, Atlantic City’s self-titled “first authentic biergarten” highlights Jersey Shore native brews such as Cape May Coastal Evacuation Tuckahoe Snack (that’s a mouthful) along with premium, rare German beers. 2701 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey n
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POP A.D. AMOROSI
Mick Jagger. Photo: Victoria Will / AP, 2016 32
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HERE IT IS, JUNE, and there you are sitting on your June 4 “No Filter” tour tickets for Lincoln Financial Field—a date with The Rolling Stones postponed by Mick Jagger’s surprising heart issues. While one could joke that the sturdily in-shape Jagger seems less a likely candidate for heart issues than his battered-but-spry fellow Stone, Keith Richards, leave it alone. Jagger is well, and the tour will figure its way to Philadelphia—on July 23 in fact, a date just confirmed on the morning this column is written. For now, and for those looking for that living Stones-in-concert sensation, there is a long list of past live albums and concert films to tend to, the boldest of which include (but are not limited to): Flashpoint (1991) from their rejuvenating Steel Wheels tour, the still-dangerous sounding Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! (1970), the spunky punkish Some Girls: Live in Texas ’78 (2011), and the Scorsese-filmed Shine a Light (2008). Almost as if anticipating a lack of live Stones in this time of Jagger-absence, several in-concert packages are coming out in June to soothe the savage beast (of burden, pardon the dumb pun). HONK, is not a live album, per se, but a four-LP collection of its classic cuts from every Stones studio album from 1971 up to 2016’s Blue & Lonesome in quad coloring of purple, red, orange and yellow. Though HONK’s hits sound vibrant, you’ll stay for the live album of ten songs recorded and unreleased (until now and here) within the last six years. Though “Dancing With Mr. D” (Live at Gelredome, Arnhem 10/15/17) is slimily diabolical and “She’s A Rainbow” (Live at U Arena, Paris 10/25/17) as quaintly psychedelic as its original, its several duets that make HONK worth its cost/weight: “Wild Horses” (Live at London Stadium 05/22/18) with Florence & the Machine’s Florence Welch, is as elegant and unbridled, as “Dead Flowers” (Live at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia 06/18/13) with Brad Paisley is country-cool and curt. Ed Sheeran and Dave Grohl also make appearances, but nothing as worthwhile as their predecessors. When it comes to the Stones hosting star guests, nothing is as wooly or mammoth as the legendary—and long hidden from view—Rock and Roll Circus special, filmed for the BBC in 1968, unreleased until 1996, and, of this month, dropped in a 4K restored, remastered audio and video (DVD and Blu-ray) version with reams of never seen bonus material starring the one-off super-group The Dirty Mac with Keith Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Mitch Mitchell. Also part of the official Circus line-up is The Who, Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithfull, Taj Mahal and Yoko Ono with interviews and commentary with Pete Townshend, Richards, Mick Jagger, Ian Anderson, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg and more. Here, you get a circus’ requisite acrobats, clowns, tigers and fire-eaters (hanging out with Jagger and Bill Wyman in the BluRay’s extras), but also a sparkling Stones’ six-song set (one of the last times they performed with multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones) of which “Salt of the Earth” is essential, The Who’s crushing version of “A Quick One, While He's Away,” a handful of folksy funky tracks by Mahal, a serenely weird “Something Better” from Marianne Faithfull. Then there is June’s Bridges To Bremen release on BluRay, CD and triple vinyl. Presented by Eagle Rock/Eagle Vision—also respon-
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Photo: Scott Gries.
sible for Stones’ live and documentary titles such as No Security San Jose ’99, Voodoo Lounge Uncut and more—featured the fruits of the band’s first time fanvote set list for a lone rare track. Bremen wanted to hear the slow and blurrily soulful “Memory Motel,” and got it, along with everything from then-fresh material (“Saint of Me”) as well as swaggering takes on “Paint it Black,” “Thief in the Night,” and “Gimme Shelter,” a deeply bluesy “Anybody Seen My Baby?,” a rollicking Richards-fronted “Tumbling Dice,” and a razor sharp cover of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” Each live chunk makes you yearn to hear the real Rolling Stones up close— well, many yards away even if you have premium pricey VIP seating —but Bridges at Bremen, with its regency and full out dedication to all thing Stones without guests or filler, is pretty close to a Lincoln Financial Field scenario without having to bitch about parking or grouse about drink prices. n ICON | JUNE 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV
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JAZZ, ROCK, CLASSICAL, ALT MARK KERESMAN
Bill Evans Trio HHHHH Evans in England Resonance What can one say about jazz pianist Bill Evans that hasn’t been said before? But, sad as it may be, not everyone is in the know, so here goes (short form): When Evans was in Miles Davis’ band circa 1959, some musicians gave Davis a hard time as Evans was the only white member of the combo. But Miles stood fast—defending him (it was a time when African-American consciousness was happening, as well as a “racial” schism in jazz)—he valued Evans’ ability and influence, and said
Bill Evans,Eddie Gomez & Marty Morell,TV studio with strings conducted by Palle Mikkelborg. Copenhagen, June 1970. Photo: Jan Persrson.
he liked his “quiet fire.” Evans was and remains one of the most lyrical players in jazz history, interweaving classical influences and moody swing, and was one of the first to look at the piano/bass/drums trio configuration as a mode for three-way interaction—before Evans, with most trios the piano was the “main/lead” instrument that the bass and drums would accompany. Evans raised the bar. Evans in England is a set of previously unreleased recordings from an extended 1969 engagement in a UK jazz club. Almost any new Evans is notable, but what’s interesting about this package is that is catches Evans’ most long-lived band near its beginning: Bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell would be with Evans for the next 11 years, up to his 1980 passing. There’s nothing tentative about these recordings, though—if anything, the Evans Trio sound very enthusiastic. While the Evans melancholia/wistfulness is indeed there, there is a certain boisterousness and exhilaration to these performances. In addition, the recording quality, while excellent, includes some background noise from the venue (talk, clinking of glasses), imparting a lively you-are-there ambiance. Perhaps not the best entry point for those new to Evans, it’s a must for the smitten. (For a good entry point: Waltz for Debby.) (18 tracks, 112 min.) resonancerecords.org András Schiff HHHHH Franz Schubert: Sonatas & Impromptus ECM New Series Franz Schubert (1797–1828) did not have a long lifespan but certainly made an enduring mark on musical history, extending beyond classical music. English writer Daniel Levitin wrote, “Paul McCartney may be the closest thing our generation has produced to Schubert,” and others have seen similarities between the works of Lennon/McCartney and Franz S. Ironically (or not) Schubert received more positive/popular renown in his lifetime for his songs (lieder, our German cousins call them) and shorter works than for his symphonies. Listening to Sonatas & Impromptus, it’s not hard to see/hear why—Schubert had a winning way with melody. Portions of “Die Klavierstück” are as catchy and fetchingly wistful as any tune by 34
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Bacharach/David, Paul McC or Elvis Costello. Elsewhere there are moments of Beethoven-like tension (Ludwig von B was a major inspiration to Franz S) mixed with tentative tenderness, as in “Ver Impromptus.” Pianist András Schiff magnifi-
cently plies his trade here on a Fortepiano that dates from the 1820s (!) and gives the listener a bit of insight as to how Schubert’s piano music might’ve sounded in his own time. Schiff ’s approach is full of contrasts—of volume (especially delicious is the “midrange” of his palette) and of intensity, though he avoids bombast. As with most ECM releases, the sonic quality is beyond superb. For Schubert/Romantic-era classical fans, essential; for novices, brown-bag lunch for a few days and obtain (without monetary guilt) this wonderful two-CD set. (14 tracks, 114 min.) ecmrecords.com Marc Ponthus HHHH Schumann: Fantiasie, Op. 17; Kreisleriana, Op. 16; Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Bridge Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was a German pianist/composer who established himself in the wake of Beethoven. Beethoven’s works bridged the Classical and Romantic periods of classical music, and Schumann picked up the ball and carried it into the latter era. (In fact, he was something of a mentor to Brahms.) Piano was Schumann’s thing—he was set for a career as a concert performer until a hand injury put the kibosh on it. But that didn’t stop him from writing some beautiful music for piano, three of which are included here: “Fantasie Op. 17,” “Kreisleriana Op. 16,” and “Kinderszenen Op. 15.” Pianist Marc Ponthus maintains Schumann’s dramatic lyricism, but he’s also a performer of modern classical (including noteworthy noisemaker Stockhausen) so perhaps his readings aren’t exactly dripping with sentiment. Which is not to say this isn’t emotional music—much of “Fantasie” is as ravishing as the best of Beethoven and Schubert. Schumann disliked flashy piano playing, and Ponthus, perhaps mindful of that, plays with fabulous technique but never shows off, letting the notes ring and decay in the ether as if each were itself a composition. While Schumann isn’t as initially catchy as, say, Mozart, Schubert ,or Ludwig van (I refer primarily to classical neophytes), his stuff is well worth the time and effort for those into this particular continuum. (23 tracks, 71 min.) bridgerecords.com
Wreckless Eric HHHH1/2 Transience Southern Domestic Eric Goulden aka Wreckless Eric was of the UK’s Class of 1976, one of the Brit eccentrics (or so they then seemed) that populated the Stiff Records label (also including Elvis Costello and the late Ian Dury). What they had in common was a rejection of the blandness and bombast of mainstream rock music and a desire to make rock (& roll) fun again. Despite the industry’s seeming indifference, Eric is
still rockin’ decades later, still making rough-hewn, bittersweet, tuneful songs. W. Eric has a very British voice, vaguely akin to Ray Davies, and he mixes a ramshackle garage band rawness with oddly sophisticated/classy production values. “Indelible Stain” is a cross between Velvet Underground’s melodious, drone-y clangor and late ’60s Beatles/Who-like psychedelia. “Father to the Man” is a remembrance of Eric’s father and has the same vivid wistfulness as Bruce Springsteen’s workingclass-roots tales. “The Half of It” has a tip-o’-the-hat to The Kinks’ “Celluloid Heroes”—the Davies-like way Eric sings the words “Hollywood Boulevard,” the music then taking on a slightly dissonant, oddly baroque-tinged ambiance. This is W. Eric’s “serious” album, full of captivating shades of gray and droll, laconic joys, his Bringing It All Back Home, his Rubber Soul. (8 tracks, 35 min.) wrecklesseric.com Markus Burger/Bob Magnusson/Peter Erskine HHHH The Alaska Sessions Challenge Markus Burger is a German jazz pianist living in the USA; Bob Magnusson is an acoustic bassist who has played with nearly everyone; and drummer Peter Erskine was in Weather Report, and since leaving he’s become a leader in the own right. Nearly all the tunes herein are original. Burger comes from a classical background and it shows, with a special accent on J.S. Bach. This isn’t really a fusion, however—Burger structures his solos in the lovely precise manner of Bach’s most melodious pieces. (That choral music with the opening credits of the film Casino? That’s Bach, baby.) Magnusson’s bass is pliant and harmonious, subtly intertwining his notes around Burger’s. There’s always a sense of forward motion and swing, and the solos go on for exactly as long as they need to be and no longer. Burger’s compositions combine the elegance of classical music with the directness of pop—an antecedent would be Vince Guaraldi’s music for the Peanuts cartoons and Don Shirley’s in Green Book. There are differences: the tunes here are mostly reflective, not bouncy, and Burger’s approach to the piano has the rich rhapsodic qualities of Keith Jarrett (an early influence). For those thinking jazz means more to the people playing it than listeners, or it’s too hard to follow, listen to Alaska Sessions. Without going commercial, these three cats deliver the goods (and not just for jazz-heads only). (12 tracks, 73 min.) challengerecords.com n ICON | JUNE 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV
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JAZZ LIBRARY BOB PERKINS
Pianist Nat 'King' Cole composer, arranger and trumpeter Billy May and singer Johnnie Ray rehearse backstage on May 5, 1952 in New York City. Photo: PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives
Billy May IN HIS PRIME, AND as a major arranging talent for recording artists of varied stripes, Billy May’s nickname could well have been Mr. Ubiquitous. He was seemingly everywhere at once: arranging for Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson and a host of other top-notch performers, while also writing music for the TV shows Naked City, The Green Hornet, Mod Squad and Batgirl, to name a few. May also put his name on the film scores of Pennies from Heaven, Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return. He found time, too, to do some devilishly fun stuff in a recording with satirist Stan Freberg, in which they poked fun at Lawrence Welk’s successful TV show, whose music they considered more than corny; they took particular aim at his repeated misuse of the word wonderful by calling it “wunnerful.” Word got back to the two producers that Mr. Welk was not pleased with their critical analysis. 36
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Billy May, a man for just about all musical seasons, was born November 10, 1916, in Pittsburgh, a city which has been home to many greats in music. He played tuba in the high school band, later switching to trumpet. In 1938, May landed a job with Charlie Barnet’s band and convinced Barnet to let him write arrangements; he did well, writing the arrangement for “Cherokee,” which became a major hit for the band during the swing era. May was also a member of Glenn Miller’s band just before WWII. The relationship between the two was said to be shaky, because the Miller band had a certain sound the leader wanted to keep, so he rejected a good number of May’s arrangements, perhaps because he didn’t believe they were a good fit. Years later, after May had recovered from his earlier days of hard drinking, and after going into rehabilitation for the problem, he softened his stance against Miller, saying he’d learned a lot from him while a member of the band. His name was getting around and Capitol heard it. May was hired by the label and began to arrange sessions with Capitol’s wealth of talent, which included, among others, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, and George Shearing. It was with Capitol that May and Sinatra collaborated on the landmark album Come Fly With Me. May and Nancy Wilson later recorded the album Lush Life. During an interview I had with Wilson many years ago, she recalled it as her favorite album. She gave much of the credit for the album’s success to May’s arrangements. (One of my favorite Billy May albums is Bill’s Bag.) I remember reading an article by Mel Torme, in which he also sang the praises of May’s arranging prowess. He said that one evening he and May were late for a musical engagement, of which they were the primary participants. But for whatever reason, no musical arrangements had been worked out beforehand. They hailed a cab, and May worked out the arrangements for the concert while riding to the engagement. As the years went by, May continued to produce outstanding work for those he supported with his arranging capabilities. He often fronted his own bands, but mainly appeared to enjoy the challenge of writing successes for others with his arrangements. Edward William May, died January 22, 2004, in San Capistrano, California, at the age of 87. n Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1. Listen to Bob Monday through Thurday night from 6–9 & Sunday 9–1.
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<
18 | REEL NEWS
The Mustang (dir. Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre.) Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruce Dern, Connie Britton, Gideon Adlon. The concept that taming wild horses can help rehabilitate and socialize hardened criminals is well known almost to the point of cliché. But the skilled directing of French filmmaker Clermont-Tonnerre and the performance by Flemish actor Matthias Schoenaerts turn the expected into a revealing, empathetic drama. Roman, (Schoenaerts), halfway through his sentence for tragic domestic violence, is still filled with self-loathing and uncontrollable anger. The goal of the wild horse program, and the movie, is not forgiveness or manufactured redemption, but to nourish a tormented human spirit brutally flawed on multiple levels. Our introduction to incarcerated individuals seething with anger begins with a renegade horse named Marquis, spirited off the free range and confined in a pen. Marquis is the animal manifestation of Roman, whose spirit barely reaches human classification. With the help of the wrangler Myles (Dern) and Henry (Mitchell), a fellow inmate in the program, Roman slowly learns that if he wants to control the horse, he must learn to control himself, and maybe if he can earn the horse’s trust, he can rebuild a relationship with his pregnant teen daughter. [R] HHHH
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The Last Days of the City.
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In The Last Days of the City (dir. Tamer El Said). Starring Khalid Abdalla, Hanan Yousef. Like a picture within a picture, this fictionalized documentary was filmed by Tamer El Said before the Arab Spring in 2011. It follows filmmaker Khalid (Abdalla) as he shoots a documentary (presumably this movie) that will define the city he loves—Cairo in 2009. Metaphorically, Khalid must leave his apartment as buildings with all the tenants’ belongings are being demolished, but he can’t find a suitable place to live. His home is gone, his girlfriend left the country, and his mother is in the hospital, but he keeps filming slice-of-life scenes in the city. If he records the present, it will stay with him even when memories fade and unstoppable forces morph the city into an unrecognizable entity. To reinforce the theme, three of Khalid’s filmmaker friends from Beirut and Bagdad come to Cairo to serve on a panel to discuss how the conflicts between modernism and traditions, conflicting religious movements, political factions, and war and insurrections have fractured their cities and brutalized their citizens. And this is all before the Tahrir Square protests of 2011 that brought Hosni Mubarak’s government down and forever changed the soul of the city. It’s axiomatic that once you leave home, you can’t go back—because that place, and you, have changed and no longer exist. Last Days is an eloquent and beautifully framed requiem to a lost city which, like a parent, nourished the filmmaker’s soul, but more so, a reminder that change is as inevitable as it is painful, yet life goes on. [nr] HHHH
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39
harper’s FINDINGS
INDEX
Biologists who captured ninety-nine sea snakes off Costa Rica and offered them a drink found that 80 percent of the snakes accepted water late in the dry season but only 13 percent drank after the start of the rainy season. Swifts, during the months they spend continuously aloft, sleep while gliding at high altitude. For the bushbuck, Mozambique’s civil war created a “landscape of fearlessness.” Wallace’s giant bee, unencountered since the early 1980s, was found. Foreign bees are stealing prime resources from native bees in San Diego. US counties that have historically taken in more immigrants have higher incomes and less unemployment, and counties with higher income inequality have higher rates of firearm homicide. The income level beyond which additional money does not affect Americans’ happiness is more than twice Europeans’ level. American children aged five to eight see nationality as biological. Unemployed white Christian men are highly associated with watching Islamic State beheadings. Among random subjects tested for sadism, 38 percent enjoyed grinding live bugs, and 24 percent ground more bugs than recommended. Female Tenebrio molitor beetles prefer mating with males immunocompromised by fungus. The healing soil of alkaline grasslands in Northern Ireland, used in traditional medicine, was found to contain bacteria effective against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Factor by which the North Korean government’s hackers work more quickly than the Chinese government’s: 2 By which the Russian government’s work more quickly than the North Korean government’s: 8 Portion of US tech workers who think tech companies should work with the government on military projects: 3/5 Percentage of Earth observation satellites that are operated by private corporations: 18 Estimated percentage that will be operated by private corporations by 2027: 56 Estimated number of years it will take before women have published as many astrophysics papers as men have: 131 Before men have published as many nursing papers as women have: 320 Percentage of veterinarians who have been asked by patients about cannabis products for pets: 92 Who say they are asked about them weekly: 29 Percentage of threatened megafauna species that are killed for meat: 72 Factor by which dairy products account for more carbon emissions than pork: 2.6 Than chicken: 3.1 Portion of European companies that see climate change as a business risk: 4/5 That have set goals for emissions reductions: 4/5 That have set goals for emissions reductions beyond 2025: 1/3 Percentage of US businesses that say the 2017 tax cuts have had no impact on their hiring or investment plans: 84 Percentage of Americans who said in 2013 that reducing the deficit should be a top policy priority: 72 Who say so this year: 48 Amount Americans voluntarily donated to pay down the national debt last year: $775,654.63 Amount Americans donated in 2012: $7,749,618.27 Estimated number of hours last year that US workers spent in meetings they considered unnecessary: 16,640,000,000 Percentage of US workers who cite unnecessary meetings as the “largest waste of company resources”: 34 Percentage of American families whose single biggest annual cash infusion is their tax refund: 23 Portion of Americans below the poverty line who receive no federal assistance: 1/4 Percentage growth in US plasma-donation centers since 2012: 78 Maximum number of times a year that an American can sell their own plasma: 104 Average amount an American earns per donation: $30 Portion of NYC fast-food workers who say they have been terminated or forced to quit because of poor working conditions: 1/2 Rank of 2018 among years with the most US workers on strike/lockout over the past 30 years: 1 Percentage of striking US workers last year who were employed in education: 78 Number of the ten schools receiving the most Post-9/11 GI Bill payments since 2009 that are for-profit: 8 Number of those schools that have faced legal action for misrepresentation or fraud: 6 Chance that a dating app or website user is there to cheat on a partner: 1 in 6 Rank of online-dating scams among the costliest types of consumer fraud in the United States: 1 Amount Americans reported to the FTC that they lost in online-dating scams last year: $143,000,000 Median amount lost in these scams by victims aged 20 to 29: $1,000 By victims aged 70 and older: $10,000 Percentage change in reservations for one at NYC restaurants since 2014: +80 Average number of seconds by which adults fall asleep more quickly if they are rocked: 398
9
Paleo dieters show generally positive psychological tendencies. The sex of a dead person dating from around 5300 bc onward can now be determined by a single tooth. Sex determined from cremated remains generally corresponds with the sex indicated by gendered grave goods at Iron Age Italian necropolises. An eleventh-century woman unearthed in Luxembourg with lapis lazuli in her dental plaque was suspected of having illuminated manuscripts. Medieval inks containing pomegranate peel, vitriol, and gall can be re-created. Some men in ancient Panama had surfer’s ear. The clam gardens of the Pacific Northwest arose at least 3,500 years ago. A large number of Neolithic dog sacrifices occurred in Catalonia. Archaeologists studying a fifteenth-century Peruvian site found evidence of a largescale sacrifice of llamas and children. Foxes were domesticated in the Bronze Age. The Silver Spoon Effect is lifelong in mongooses. Burmese mahouts are becoming younger and are rotating elephants rather than developing long-term bonds. The rate of atmospheric carbon release is now an order of magnitude higher than it was during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum. Researchers can turn CO2 back into coal. The RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft test-fired a harpoon designed to clean up orbital garbage. The Milky Way is mostly dark matter. There is a stellar stream in the southern sky.
9
Scientists synthesized squid proteins that can replace certain plastics, tested a small insulin-injection system that can be swallowed in tablet form and whose shape is modeled on the shell of the leopard tortoise, and explored the concentration of Japanese eel DNA in river water. DMT microdosing improves anxious and depressive behaviors in rats but makes the males gain weight and the females’ brains atrophy. Gut bacteria in mammals can control the host animal’s DNA. Dusty food worsens chimps’ chewing. Aspirational thinking has spurred Indian farmers to buy genetically modified seeds. The source of citrus sourness was found. The inventor of the supersweet onion and the maroon Beta Sweet carrot, who early in his career bred a firmer cucumber, died. Old stars fade away more slowly than previously thought. 40
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“Harper’s Index” is a registered trademark.
SOURCES: 1,2 CrowdStrike (Washington); 3 Buzzfeed; 4,5 Euroconsult (Arlington, Va.); 6,7 Luke Holman, University of Melbourne (Australia); 8,9 Lori Kogan, Colorado State University (Fort Collins); 10 Christopher Wolf, Oregon State University (Corvallis); 11,12 Animal Law and Policy Program, Harvard Law School (Cambridge, Mass.); 13–15 CDP Europe (Berlin); 16 National Association for Business Economics (Washington); 17,18 Pew Research Center (Washington); 19,20 Treasury Direct (Minneapolis); 21,22 Doodle (Zurich); 23 JPMorgan Chase Institute (Washington); 24 Urban Institute (Washington); 25–27 Center for Health Care Research and Policy, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland); 28 Center for Popular Democracy (Brooklyn, N.Y.); 29,30 US Bureau of Labor Statistics; 31,32 Veterans Education Success (Washington); 33 YouGov (NYC); 34–37 Federal Trade Commission (Washington); 38 OpenTable (NYC); 39 Laurence Bayer, University of Geneva.
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The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE
LOW-TECH GLOSSARY By Matt McKinley
ACROSS 1 5 9 13 18 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 31 33 34 38 40 42 43 44 46 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 64 65 68 71 73 74 75 76 78 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 42
Next to nothing? New newts Trying to break a tie, briefly Battle zone journalist Courier alternative Area below Greenwich Village Equivalent of neener Weeper of myth Part of a parallel parking lesson? “I might” Redundant modifier of “bit” Sealskin boot Castle defense City west of Boise “__ for Alibi”: Grafton novel Sch. in Manhattan One of Mary Stuart’s people When one might have a late lunch Pet store array Lead-in for worm Hesitates Cookie recipe? 1977 Steely Dan album Pleasing application Nonfiction piece Mayall of “Drop Dead Fred” Go right to the top? Monetary promises Pretty pitcher Starbucks order Stats for NFL defensive linemen Fishing __ Tar Heel State campus Corporate agreement finalizer Basic security feature USN rank Déjà vu? Shore bird Graph’s depiction Schulz’s “psychiatric help” dispenser Tot’s scrape New beginning Devious intentions Scrap Soft shoes PC scrolling key Not often seen “What __ the odds?!” Get clean Board game with a lawsuit card Org. with a two-leaved flower logo Spider-Man?
91 Best way to play, teamwise 93 Wrinkly-faced dog 94 Bars on the road 95 Actress Samantha 97 Tax-evasion agts. 98 Deceptively convincing 100 Bearded bovine 101 Not quite first-stringers 103 Fords whose initials didn’t actually stand for anything 104 West Coast surfing mecca 106 Musical symbols 109 Just not done 112 What a jittery camera operator may be having? 116 Candy heart words 117 Barely made it, with “by” 118 Where Zeno taught 119 Cellphone group pic, in slang 120 Military rookie 121 Upbeat 122 Snippy return 123 Macy’s div., e.g.
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 24 25 30 32 34 35
36 37 38 39
Locomotive compartment Q.E.D. word “Impressive!” What most do in class Medium power? Configuration Bank heist unit Save, as money Pakistan’s longest river Stooge laugh Row Travelers celebrated annually How tour groups move Mazda two-seater Youngster Go out on the beach? Bad mark Crescent-shaped Poe title stowaway Jennyanydots’ creator Turow memoir “I’ll skip it, thanks”? “The Trial” author Poirot’s note-to-self about locating the Orient Express murder weapon? “Solve or spin?” host Cafeteria staples Swinging-doors site Meteorologist’s rainfall prediction measure?
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41 42 44 45 47 51 53 56 57 58 60 61 63 66 67 69 70
72 76 77 79 80 81 84 87 88 89 90
Skier’s aid Gum source Renaissance __ Land with a 59-Across Like many shakes On its way Ms. __-Man Car battery pioneer Tide table? Apt rhyme for “eye” Times to prepare Cooks in oil Happens Michelob diet beers Like arguments no longer worth having European perch A chamber work by Louis Spohr was the first to bear this title W. Coast’s 101, e.g. Jobs before the main job Really enjoy Eponymous chair maker “CSI” actress Helgenberger Crashed Enchants Bide one’s time during, as a storm Bk. after Genesis Much ado about nothing Workout wt.
92 96 99 100 102 104 105 107 108 109 110 111 113 114 115
As far down as it’s been Rule violations Garlic unit Overly showy Prefix with tourist Springfield bar Composer Bartók Wind similar to a piccolo Small cut Involuntary habit Phrase on a menu Bar order “Top Hat” studio Already acquired Acquire
Answer to May’s puzzle,YOUTH GROUP
AGENDA ART EXHIBITS
ART FESTIVALS
THRU 6/9 The Art of the Miniature XXVll, featuring nearly 500 works of art. The Snow Goose Gallery, 470 Main St., Bethlehem,. 610-974-9099. thesnowgoosegallery.com
THRU 6/23 Art & Wine Festival. Outdoor art installations, galleries, and pop-up exhibits. Peddler’s Village, Buckingham, PA PeddlersVillage.com
THRU 6/15 The 2019 Spring Show. Closing reception 6/15, 6–9. Bethlehem House Gallery, 459 Main St., Bethlehem. 610-419-6262. bethlehemhousegallery.com THRU 6/16 Echo Lake Collaborative, A Twenty Year Retrospective. New Hope Arts, 2 Stockton Ave., New Hope. newhopearts.org. echolakecollaborative.org THRU 6/29 Best Laid Plans, an exhibition of paintings & mixed media by Marc Schimsky. Opening reception 6/8, 6-9. “A” Space Gallery, 37 W. Bridge St., New Hope. marcschimsky.com THRU 9/8 The Color of the Moon. The James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown. 215-340-9800. michenerartmuseum.org 6/1-7/21 Jennifer Hansen Rolli,This Place. Silverman Gallery, Rte. 202, 4920 York Rd., Holicong, PA. 215-794-4300. silvermangallery.com 6/14-8/1 Emily Strong. Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. muhlenberg.edu/gallery 6/14-8/1 Zach Kleemeyer. Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. muhlenberg.edu/gallery 6/14-8/1 Femi J. Johnson and The MAG Collection. Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. muhlenberg.edu/gallery 6/28-10/5 Summer Show, opening reception 6/28, 6–9. Bethlehem House Gallery, 459 Main St., Bethlehem. 610-4196262. bethlehemhousegallery.com
6/15 Art-in-the-Park. Fine art/crafts by 70+ artists. Music, food and drink. Allentown. westparkcivic.org 6/22, 23 30th Annual Manayunk Arts Festival, the tri-state area’s largest outdoor juried art festival. Main Street in Manayunk, Philadelphia. manayunk.com 7/6, 7 Tinicum Arts Festival. Discovery tent, author’s table, silent auction, book sale, white elephant sale, entertainment, children’s activities. Tinicum Park, River Rd., Erwinna. tinicumartsfestival.org 7/13, 14 27th Annual Haddonfield Crafts & Fine Art Festival, rain or shine. Haddonfield, NJ. 856-216-7253. downtownhaddonfield.com MUSEUMS THRU 9/8 From Here to There. Mercer Museum, 84 So. Pine St., Doylestown. 215-345-0210. mercermuseum.org THRU 9/8 Making Astronauts. Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine St., Doylestown. 215-345-0210. mercermuseum.org FILM 6/11–15 SouthSide Film Festival. Documentaries, shorts, features, animation, experimental films. 1,413 films from 47 states and 101 countries. Independent film from around the world. Bethlehem. SSFF.org THEATER 6/22 Into The Woods. Improvised comedy for grownups with live music. 8:00 PM. Admission: roll of one die plus $3. Refreshments. Book & Puppet Co., 466 Northampton St. Easton. bookandpuppet.com
6/26–7/27 World Premiere Circus Experience for All Ages, Bohemia. Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, Muhlenberg College, Allentown. 484-664-3333. muhlenberg.edu/smt6/28-6/30 Hand to Hand. FringeArts Circus Festival presents Pss Pss, Compagnia Baccalá. FringeArts, 140 N Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia. fringearts.com 6/30 Hand to Hand. FringeArts presents Circus Midway, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. FringeArts, 140 N Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia. fringearts.com 7/1 Hand to Hand, A FringeArts Circus Festival: Test Flights, curated/hosted by Ben Grinberg. 140 N Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia. fringearts.com 7/11–28 Cole Porter’s, Anything Goes. Muhlenberg Summer Music Theater, Muhlenberg College, Allentown. 484-664-3333. muhlenberg.edu/smt MUSIC
6/7 Greg McGarvey and Friends. Benefit for Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. 1867 Sanctuary Arts & Culture Center, 101 Scotch Rd., Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org 6/9 Patti LuPone. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA. kimmelcenter.org 6/9 Vivaldi, J. S. Bach,Telemann, Boismortier and Platti. Featured solos for recorder, oboe, bassoon and strings. Valley Vivaldi, Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 W. Hamilton St., Allentown. 610-434-7811. pasinfonia.org 6/9 Glassbrook Vocal Ensemble. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org 6/12 Acoustic Guitar Night w/Michael Gulezian,Vin Downes, and Trevor Gordon Hall. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Rd, Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org
6/21 Boz Scaggs, Out of the Blues Tour. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. 610-252-3132. statetheatre.org 6/29 Concert Under the Stars. Opens 6pm, Riverside Symphonia, Tinicum Park, River Rd., Erwinna. 609-397-7300. riversidesymphonia.org 6/30 Chamber music by Vivaldi, J. S. Bach, Boccherini and Telemann. Solos for flute, oboe, violin, harpsichord. Valley Vivaldi, Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 W. Hamilton St., Allentown. 610-434-7811. pasinfonia.org KESWICK THEATRE 291 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 215-572-7650 keswicktheatre.com JUNE 6 Robbie Krieger Band 7 Dio Returns 14 Abacab Tour: The Genesis Show 19 Happy Together Tour 2019: The Turtles, Chuck Negron, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Buckinghams, Classics IV, The Cowsills 21 Get the LED Out 22 Get the LED Out 29 Buddy Guy JULY 1 Doo Wop Volume 5 2 MattyB / The Haschak Sisters 6 Robby Krieger Band MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem 610-332-1300 Artsquest.org JUNE 1 Damn The Torpedoes: A Tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 7 A Solo Acoustic Evening with Richard Marx 12 Al Di Meola 14 Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band 16 The Jayhawks 18 Dylan LeBlanc 22 Brenda K. Starr & Optimo 23 Low Cut Connie 28-30 Blast Furnace Blues Festival 28 The Smithereens, special guest Marshall Crenshaw JULY 10 Jimmie Vaughan 11 Splintered Sunlight
DINO’S BACKSTAGE 287 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside. Restaurant • Bar • Cabaret 215-884-2000 dinosbackstage.com JUNE 6 Spice Up Your Life, A Spice Girls Drag Tribute 8 Bearlesque at Dino’s Backstage 14, 15 Eddie Bruce The Music of Michel Legrand 22 Michael Richard Kelly, The Just Judy Garland Songbook DINNER THEATER THRU 6/29 Murder Mystery Dinner Theater: The Golden Girls. Peddler’s Village, 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-4000. peddlersvillage.com Every Thurs.-Sat., Dinner and a Show at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, PA. 5-10:00. Table service and valet parking. steelstacks.org Dine in the Celebrity Room at Dino’s Backstage and enjoy the show. 287 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, PA. 215-8842000. dinosbackstage.com CAMPS 6/24-6/29 Summer Video Institute, DeSales University Summer Arts Camp. College credits. 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley. 610-282-1100. desales.edu/svi 7/22-8/2 Summer Dance Intensive, DeSales University, Summer Arts Camp. College credits. 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley. 610-282-1100. desales.edu/sdi EVENTS 6/14 Flag Day Parade, Clinton, NJ. 6:30pm. Free hotdogs & lemonade, and retirement of the flag at The Red Mill post parade. visitclintonnj.com 6/22 Alex Sepkus Trunk Show, 11–5. Heart of the Home, 28 S. Main St., New Hope. 215-896-1690. heartofthehome.com n
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