Tuesday, February 10, 2004
NYC sightings
Last weekend wasn't the first time I'd ever flown across the country just to see a performance, but it was the first time I'd done it to see a show that was closing due to low ticket sales and poor reviews.
The show was "Taboo," a Broadway musical set in the 80's London club scene that tells the mostly-true stories of several prominent figures from that time and place, including Leigh Bowery, Phillip Sallon and Boy George.
Originally the plan was to see the final performance on Sunday night, but we ended up getting amazing seats minutes before the Saturday night show. The US version of the show received mostly bad reviews (the UK version ran for two years) but I found it quite entertaining. There were some good songs, nice performances, it told some very interesting stories and had the most amazing costumes. Really glad I made the effort to see it before it closed.
Criticisms would include a second act that started out feeling clichéd (but got a lot better) and a few weak spots talent-wise, though one of the actors I thought was awful in the first act turned it around after the intermission. The guy who played Boy George was by far the best, while Boy George himself (playing Leigh Bowery) was a bit flat in areas.
The next day we caught another show on its closing weekend, this one an exhibit at the Met entitled Bravehearts: Men in Skirts. It included authentic historical examples and modern re-interpretations from all sorts of big-name designers. There were quite a few outfits that were actually worn, designed and/or donated by several of the characters from "Taboo." It took some time and neck-craning to read all the history behind each outfit but was well worth it. The short version of the story (pun intended) is that skirts used to be perfectly acceptable wear for men (and still are in many places) but today are still stuck in a feminine-stigma limbo. Me, I want a UtiliKilt soon.
Later that day down in Soho we caught another exhibit, this one having just opened at the New Museum. It's a collection of John Waters' artwork and early films. Being a huge John Waters fan this was a real treat for me, and much of what I saw had me (and many others) laughing out loud. Most of the pieces were assembled from snapshots John has taken of images on his TV, then ordered or organized in some brilliant, usually funny way. There was also a photographic recreation of his office and a complete list of his library collection. The show will be running through at least April, so be sure to see it if you're out that way.
Also while in NYC, I saw Aaron Peterson, Chad Blankenship, the wonderful bars of the Maritime and Hudson hotels and all sorts of unmentionable activities at another bar known simply (and appropriately) as The Cock.
The show was "Taboo," a Broadway musical set in the 80's London club scene that tells the mostly-true stories of several prominent figures from that time and place, including Leigh Bowery, Phillip Sallon and Boy George.
Originally the plan was to see the final performance on Sunday night, but we ended up getting amazing seats minutes before the Saturday night show. The US version of the show received mostly bad reviews (the UK version ran for two years) but I found it quite entertaining. There were some good songs, nice performances, it told some very interesting stories and had the most amazing costumes. Really glad I made the effort to see it before it closed.
Criticisms would include a second act that started out feeling clichéd (but got a lot better) and a few weak spots talent-wise, though one of the actors I thought was awful in the first act turned it around after the intermission. The guy who played Boy George was by far the best, while Boy George himself (playing Leigh Bowery) was a bit flat in areas.
The next day we caught another show on its closing weekend, this one an exhibit at the Met entitled Bravehearts: Men in Skirts. It included authentic historical examples and modern re-interpretations from all sorts of big-name designers. There were quite a few outfits that were actually worn, designed and/or donated by several of the characters from "Taboo." It took some time and neck-craning to read all the history behind each outfit but was well worth it. The short version of the story (pun intended) is that skirts used to be perfectly acceptable wear for men (and still are in many places) but today are still stuck in a feminine-stigma limbo. Me, I want a UtiliKilt soon.
Later that day down in Soho we caught another exhibit, this one having just opened at the New Museum. It's a collection of John Waters' artwork and early films. Being a huge John Waters fan this was a real treat for me, and much of what I saw had me (and many others) laughing out loud. Most of the pieces were assembled from snapshots John has taken of images on his TV, then ordered or organized in some brilliant, usually funny way. There was also a photographic recreation of his office and a complete list of his library collection. The show will be running through at least April, so be sure to see it if you're out that way.
Also while in NYC, I saw Aaron Peterson, Chad Blankenship, the wonderful bars of the Maritime and Hudson hotels and all sorts of unmentionable activities at another bar known simply (and appropriately) as The Cock.
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