Last night I saw new Matthew Lombardo play HIGH at the Booth Theatre on Broadway.

My expectations were high for a juicy role for Kathleen Turner and they were definitely met.   Kathleen plays a tough, foul-mouthed nun who specializes in counseling for young addicts, Sister Jamie Connelly.   She is struggling with ther own fears and past while attempting to counsel a nineteen year old drug addict Cody played by Evan Jonigkeit (Broadway debut) and fighting with her superior Father Michael played by Stephen Kunken. 

Kathleen is very funny as the nun.  She's not typical - no habit, no giant cross, but modern and no nonsense.  She's had a life before the convent.   However, aside from the cursing and wise cracking, she reveals along the way that her life of service is perhaps her way of running from that past, but she is committed to her faith and to helping her charge.   She displays great vulnerability and there was at least one scene that terrified me.  

I thought Kunken and Jonigkeit were effective in their roles.  Each had their own issues, the priest trying to do the right thing and the suffering kid who has never had a chance.   

Overall, it was a riviting experience and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to see Kathleen in another play and particularly this play which examines shame, forgiveness and faith.   

Unfortunately, this play is closing on Sunday, April 24th - only tonight, two tomorrow and the Sunday matinee left to see a legendary performance.   HIGH plays at the Booth Theatre on 45th Street. 

Seance on a Wet Afternoon at New York City Opera

On Tuesday night we saw Seance on a Wet Afternoon at New York City Opera.  It's the New York premier of the new opera by Stephen Schwartz. 

Stephen Schwartz is known for his musical theatre work, particularly Wicked, Pippin, Godspell and The Baker's Wife.    I find these musicals to be rock/pop style so I was interested in hearing what the self-proclaimed opera fan would compose for this piece.  

Seance is lush and gorgeous.  The accompanying score is always beautiful and at times even reminded me a bit of Leonard Bernstein with its use of accentuating percussion.  

Some may argue that Seance is not an opera, but what made it that for me is the fact that it is mostly sung-through, that is to say that dialogue and feelings are sung instead of spoken.    The second act did feel a bit more like musical theatre - stop, wait, let me sing a song here to convey my feelings or tell the story - but it didn't hurt the piece for me.  The show was compelling, transportive and highly entertaining.

It's based on the 1964 film noir of the same title starring Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough. The story is about a medium who has the idea to abduct, or rather "borrow" a little girl and then aid in the rescue efforts in order to boost her fame as a successful medium.    She enlists her weak husband to do her bidding.    Unfortunately, her efforts do not go as planned and their lives spin out of control.    It's a perfect story for musical or opera.   The opera is set in the 1960s.  It is directed by Scott Schwartz, Stephen Schwartz son, who is also making his opera directing debut.   The set designed by Heidi Ettinger is evocative of rain and the house is rather transparent, giving it an ethereal, spooky feel.  

Given the subject, I thought the score might be a bit more noirish or spooky, but rather it was more melodic and lyrical, while the libretto had a more suspenseful and dissonant tone which gave it an interesting dichotomy.  I was thrilled to hear soprano Lauren Flanigan in the starring role of Myra and Kim Josephson in the role of her husband Bill.   Schwartz wrote the role of Myra for Flanigan and she sang and acted it powerfully.   A wonderful bonus was hearing Melody Moore as Rita Clayton, who played the mother of the little girl.   She stole the show vocally.   Rounding out the principal casts were Todd Wilander as Charles Clayton, the father of the little girl, Michael Kepler Meo as Arthur, Myra's control and son, Bailey Grey as the little girl Adriana Clayton, Philip Boykin as Inspector Watts.   The young singers Michael Kepler and Bailey Grey both did a wonderful job acting and singing their roles. 

I am hoping that this will be audio and video recorded - it deserves a Great Performance on PBS.  There are eight more performances of Seance: Friday, April 22, 2011 at 8pm, Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 1:30pm, Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 1:30pm, Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 7:30pm, Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 8pm, Friday, April 29, 2011 at 8pm, Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 8pm, and Sunday, May 1, 2011 1:30pm.   City Opera plays at the David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center.  Ticket prices are ridiculously reasonable - including $10 rush tickets at the box office. 

Quote of the Day

Michael Douglas w MetOpera Guild President Richard J. Miller












"They never went!"

~ Michael Douglas, when asked what he would say to people who claim to hate opera

At the Opera News Awards, April 17, 2011, via NPR

Renée Fleming in Capriccio at the Met Opera

Capriccio was my most anticipated opera of this season at the Metropolitan Opera.  Oh Capriccio! Oh Strauss! Oh Renée Fleming!

In this opera by Richard Strauss, Renée plays a countess who loves music.  She has two beaus vying for her affections - one is a poet, played by Russell Braun, and one is a composer, played by Joseph Kaiser.  Her birthday is coming so there will be a fete.  The whole opera is preparing a piece for the celebration, while the subtext is questioning which is more important - the music or the lyrics.   The poet and composer believe she will choose between them based on whether she loves the music or the lyrics more.  The words are silly alone, but when set to music, they are emotionally glorious.   The kicker is that it is not revealed who she chooses.  In the meantime, there is hilarity in preparation for the party by an actress, played by Sarah Connolly, an actor who is also the count and brother, played by Morten Frank Larsen, two very funny Italian singers played by Olga Makarina and Barry Banks, and a theatre director played by Peter Rose.   The entire cast was very funny and sang it beautifully.  

This opera was the best of both worlds, a comedy with soaring, transportive music.  I asked Renée which is for her personally and she said when it comes to Strauss, it's definitely the music.  I have to agree with her on this one.  The music is sumptuous  and the Met Orchestra, this time conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, was incredible as always.

Seeing Renée in an opera has become an annual event for my friend Beth from Austin and me.  Beth was with me at my very first opera at the Met and we've seen Renée in recital together in Austin and a number of other operas.   This particular evening was fabulous as usual.   After our backstage visit, Beth, Sally, Kari and I headed out for post opera fun.   The restaurant we chose was full of the casts of both Capriccio and the NY Phil's Company.  I don't know how we do it, but every time manages to be even more fun and fabulous than the last.

As fun as it is, the real beauty comes in the final scene.  It's the countess talking to herself about the decision she is to make over words vs. music, or the two beaus.   It's contemplative and sumptuous.  

There are two more chances to see Renée in Capriccio at the Met - April 19th and 23rd.  Plus, the performance on the 23rd will be broadcast live in HD into movie theatres around the world.   We have tickets for the HD in New York, tickes not easy to come by - but it is my understanding that there are plenty of tickets out in the provinces.  I think this would be the perfect opera for a first timer, especially considering that it's rather brief compared to most operas, a mere 2 hours and 25 minutes.  

Cool things happen in New York City

I was enjoying the fog and people watching while waiting for Kari, Sally and Noah to arrive for Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera when a young lady came out from Met with a fist full of tickets for this evening's opera.   I took her up on four free upgrades for - check it out - Parterre Box 14!  These tickets go for around $300 bucks each.  Apparently, the house was not sold out so they  were seat filling for free.  I knew my friends wouldn't object since Noah had a standing room ticket and the girls and I had family circle.   Even Lois was upgraded!  She probably thought she'd died and gone to heaven when she was able to get out of the score desk section.

Berg's Wozzeck was dark, scary, macabre, and very sad.     I didn't love it like I loved Berg's Lulu last season, but am glad I went.  The performers, particularly Waltraud Meier and Alan Held were fierce.  The Met Orchestra with Maestro Levine at the podium was unreal in it's power and sheer beauty, even in the macabre there were some gorgeous melodic moments.  

Afterward, Sally, Kari and I were walking to Columbus Circle when two familiar smiling faces popped in front of me.   It was my friends Glenda and Steve who are visiting from Australia.  I met them last year after Armida and they came again this year for Cappricio.    Serendipity!  And proof that it is a small world. 

Cool things happen in New York City.

On Broadway: How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

I enjoyed seeing the new Broadway revival How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying  at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre a couple of weeks ago courtesy of a press invite.  

My initital response was remains that it was a really fun time in the theatre.  It's exhilerating to be a part of large audience completely engaged by the action on stage.   This audience was loud with enthusiasm and appreciation, which really lent to the fun atmosphere.   

The revival, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original Broadway production that won the Pulitzer Prize and a slew of other awards, stars Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch and John Larroquette as his boss J. B. Biggley.   Radcliffe is making his Broadway musical debuts and Larroquette his Broadway debut and where they lack in vocal prowess, they make up for in charm and comedic timing.   Additionally, Radcliffe is pretty hot stuff in the steps department. 

Speaking of the steps department, director and choreographer Rob Ashford moves the the rather long show (the first act is almost 1.5 hours long) at a quick pace.   Lending to the look of the show are the costumes by Catherine Zuber who turns the dresses into eye candy.   

The show is old-school cliché and takes you all the way back to 1961.  But it's easy to overlook its pre-feminism book, because it's so much fun.  Tammy Blanchard as Hedy La Rue is particularly responsible for this when she delivers with side-splitting hilarity.  She's straight out of an old movie.   The rest of the cast is sweet, Rose Hemingway in her Broadway debut as Rosemary, Christopher J. Hanke as Bud Frump, Rob Bartlett as Twimble/Wally Womper, Mary Faber as Smitty, Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones and Michael Park (hooray for As the World Turns alum!) as Bert Bratt.  

The story is that J. Pierrepont starts his career as a window washer and climbs all the way to the corporate top in a very short amount of time.   It's silly but believable.   Frank Loesser's score is one to love and although I'm glad to hear that this production will get a recording for posterity sake, the original and the 1995 revival cast albums will remain revered in my collection.

This is a show for any fan of big Broadway and I'd see it again any time.   It plays at the Al Hirshfeld on 45th Street.  There are no offered discounts at this time, but if you get to the box office early in the morning, $30 rush tickets are available on day of performance when box office opens.

Betty Buckley at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts

On Saturday night, I ventured out to unknown territory to see Betty Buckley perform "Broadway by Request" with Seth Rudetsky at the Brooklyn Center for Performing Arts at Brooklyn College in Flatbush, Brooklyn. 

In addition to being the performer for 2011 annual gala, Betty was awarded the Brooklyn Center for Performing Arts at Brooklyn College 2011 Cultural Leadership Award.


Hearing Betty Buckley in her "Broadway by Request" concert is to take a walk with her through forty years of Broadway history. Betty has been in eight Broadway productions, several in the West End and off-Broadway, and many regional productions. She originated several of these roles and when she replaced the original actress in Pippin, Song and Dance and Sunset Boulevard, she made the roles completely her own.   She won the Tony for her performance as Grizabella in Cats in 1983.  She's known for stellar tv and film work too.  

Betty has one of the most unique and powerful voices around. She's a belter but interprets lyrics with nuance and grace.  Every time I've seen her in performance, I've been thrilled.   I still get excited when she puts the microphone down and I still hear the power and purity of that unparalled voice.

Betty has a number of concert shows she tours with - sometimes jazz and standards, sometimes Broadway.  She can bring home the old school girl singer show just as well or better any of those who have come before her.   I'm not picky about which show I see - I like them all.  
I first saw her "Broadway by Request" show with Seth Rudetsky at Feinstein's in its first incarnation.   The audience wrote titles of Broadway songs from her repertoire on slips of papers and she drew them from a hat.   That was a crowd pleaser to say the least.    Betty and Seth took this show on the road and have been playing it in the provinces all over the U.S.   She noted that it was good to bring the show back to New York, where they "don't have to explain the jokes."

This incarnation of the show was more polished and sparkling than that first early cabaret.  It still had those elements of pleasing the crowd although without giving us the opportunity to specify our requests - she sings almost everything we wanted to hear anyway.  Her accompanist Seth wants it too.  It's fun to see such a fan, self-admittedly obsessed with her since a very young age, on stage with her.

The songs punctuate amazing stories Betty shares of her career - from getting cast in her first Broadway show 1776 on her first day in New York to starring in one of the most famous flops in show history, Carrie.   Betty is warm and funny, with side-splitting dead pan delivery.   My favorite story of the evening was her recounting of playing Fran in the West End production of Promises, Promises in 1970.  She was nominated for Evening Standard Award for Best Actress in a Musical.  Betty sat next to Sir Laurence Olivier and Robert Mitchum at the ceremony.  Later that week, Robert Mitchum took her to lunch with Dudley Moore.   Not bad for a 23 year old!   If and when she writes her memoir, which she's hinted at on Twitter, she's got a lot of fabulous material that will make it a page turner.   

The song set included:
As If I Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard
He Plays the Violin from 1776
Mama Look Sharp from 1776
You've Got Possibilities from It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman
Whoever You Are I Love You from Promises, Promises
Long Song from Pippin
There's a Fine, Fine Line from Avenue Q
When There's No One from Carrie
Meadowlark from The Baker's Wife
Break for Betty - Seth deconstructed The Writing on the Wall from The Mystery of Edwin Drood
No One is a Alone from Into the Woods
Memory from Cats
Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music

I had the pleasure of introducing Betty as live performer to my friend Beth from Austin, and Kyle and Cosette, both musical theatre students at Wagner College.   I knew they'd love the experience!   Betty did a signing after the performance but I wasn't able purchase anything new from her merchandise table for her to sign.   I have all of her recordings in my collection and right now I'm looking forward to purchasing her newest album Ghostlight, produced by T Bone Burnett which will be released this fall/winter.   Hopefully, we'll be celebrating that release with an extended New York engagement.   Of all of the live performances I see, Betty's is always at the top of my list.  


Kyle and Betty




Cosette and Betty




Kyle & Cosette



Beth lobbies Betty to come to Austin




Glamorous Post-Show Dinner



Lecture: Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

Karigee and I attended a lecture on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942) presented by David Garrard Lowe at the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday.  It is part of the Met's Grand Dames series (next up: Coco Chanel)  It was held in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium near the Egyptian section of the Met.  Not that I expected anything different, but the audience was 90% female and over a certain age - Kari said to me when we were leaving, "Now you know what it's like to be an old lady in New York City."   While I didn't learn anything new from the lecture, Lowe is quite a character and made the presentation quite entertaining.  To say the least, he has a great way with words and delivery.    He had the old ladies in the palm of his hand.   

If you go by her on name recognition only, Gertrude needs no introduction - heiress, socialite, millionaire (and of course, the aunt and custodian of Gloria Vanderbilt, the poor little rich girl).  But she was also a sculptress, art patron and founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art.  I became interested in her several years ago.   I find her fascinating and inspirational - a rich woman who refused to settle into a place of wifely duties and her station in life as a woman of uber wealth.   She wanted more so she went for it - followed her dreams and interests and put her money to good work. 

Gertrude was the patron of Hopper, O'Keefe, Sloan and so many others.  She started the Whitney Studio in the Village first and went from there.   A must read book for anybody interested in women in history, art, or the guilded age of New York is B. H Friedman's work, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney: A Biography.   Even though it is a biography, much of the text is provided by Gertrude herself - she was an inveterate journalist.  She kept journals from a very early age and kept most of them.  She even copied correspondence into the journals, some of which are letters between herself and various artists.    The book is full of interesting tales of travel, attendance at the opera, commentary on social espectations and stories about her family life as a child and grown woman. 

Gertrude was commissioned to sculpt a number of public statues and only to name a few the  Monumento a la Fe Descubridora in Spain, the Bill Cody Memorial in Cody, Wyoming, the Inwood War Memorial in Washington Heights, New York.  The only one I have seen in person, aside from models in her bedroom at The Breakers in Newport, RI, is the Women's Titanic Memorial beside the Potamic River in Washington, D.C.  It is breathtaking (and a model for that scene in the movie Titanic).  Additionally, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of her pieces, Cayatid, which I find ironic because one of the reasons Gertrude began to support American artists was that the Met initially refused their work.  

So for several years now, I've had this crush on Gertrude and have forced my own lectures about Gertrude upon my friends. I could probably go on for days about her and what I've learned from her, but go read the B. H. Friedman book and also The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made: a Family Memoir by Flora Miller Biddle, Gertrude's granddaughter and former president of the Whitney Museum, and then go see some art.  



Wanda & Sally at the Titanic Memorial beside the Potamic



Dorothea Röschmann and David Daniels at Carnegie Hall

Yesterday, Sally and I went to Carnegie Hall for a concert by Dorothea Röschmann, Soprano and David Daniels, Countertenor with Julliard415.   The program was all Handel and baroque.   These tickets were part of our subscription and we actually attempted to trade them for something else.  Unsuccessful, we dragged ourselves there only to be thoroughly delighted with the performance and the program

I do love Handel very much, but I was unfamiliar with Dorothea Röschmann and don't care much for countertenors.  This repertoir changed my mind and I have to say that now I am more than looking forward to The Enchanted Island, the baroqe pastiche that the Met is doing next season with David Daniels, soprano Danielle de Niese and mezzo Joyce DiDonato.  

This program, with the aid of the wonderful baroque ensemble Julliard415, was sublime.   It was quiet, beautiful and reverential.   I believe the wonderful accoustics of Carnegie lent to the beauty of this Sunday afternoon.  I walked away feeling rejuvinated and rested.  

I was familiar with the music from Rodelinda (it was the first opera I saw Renée Fleming and co-starred Daniels and I can't wait for it next season at the Met) and some of the Rinaldo, but my surprise favorite of the afternoon was the "Per le porte del tormento passan l'anime" from Handel's lesser known opera Sosarme, re di Media  - it was so joyful!

The set:
HANDEL Overture to Rodelinda
HANDEL "Ho perduto il caro sposo" from Rodelinda - Röschmann
HANDEL "Crede l'uomo ch'egli riposi" from Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno - Daniels
HANDEL Passacaglia from Terpsicore and Il pastor fido
HANDEL "Se'il mio duol" from Rodelinda  - Röschmann

HANDEL "Perfido, di a quell'empio tiranna" from Radamisto
HANDEL "Io t'abbraccio" from Rodelinda - Daniels, Röschmann

HANDEL Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, Op. 3, No. 2
HANDEL "Per le porte del tormento passan l'anime" from Sosarme, re di Media  - Daniels, Röschmann
HANDEL "V'adoro, pupille" from Giulio Cesare - Röschmann
HANDEL "Voi che udite il mio lamento" from Agrippina - Daniels
HANDEL "Morrai si, l'empia tua testa" from Rodelinda - Röschmann

HANDEL "Scherzano sul tuo volto" from Rinaldo - Daniels, Röschmann


Encores:
HANDEL "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo  - Röschmann
HANDEL "Ch'io parta? Sì, crudele" from Partenope  - Daniels
MONTEVERDI "Pur ti miro" from L'incoronazione di Poppea  - Daniels, Röschmann

Bernadette Peters at the Paramount Theatre, Austin

Even after seeing Bernadette Peters in concert twelve times, I haven't grown tired of seeing her perform her own show live.   This is particularly true about the most recent concert I attended at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas.  I had seven very good friends with me and that made it all the more special - Karen from Pennsylvania (we met at Bernadette's concert in Peekskill), Suzi from San Antonio, Robin from Austin (my college roomie!), Beth from Austin (she was with me to see Bernadette in Gypsy, my very first live Bernadette experience), and my three great friends from high school Julie from Lubbock, Jamie from College Station and Juella from Paris.  We convened in Austin for fun and a fabulous reunion weekend. 

All of my friends, except for Karen who is an even more seasoned Bernadette fan than I, were new to most of the songs Bernadette performed. They knew her from her television and film work (especially the Carol Burnet Show, The Jerk and Annie), but they were in for a treat when they heard and saw her live.   Bernadette rarely varies her repertoire and that's fine with me because there's comfort in knowing what you'll get, but when I am sitting next to somebody who is brand new to it, there's a certain magic added to an already sparkling evening.   They obviously knew the Rodgers & Hammerstein, Disney and Peggy Lee tunes, but I find it thrilling to witness an introduction to Sondheim music.   I was particularly moved by their reaction as whole to her songs - they peppered me with questions like what is that from? and where can I listen to this again?   I was not surprised when they were moved to tears by her rendition of Shenadoah and Not a Day Goes By.

Bernadette's set list, and not necessarily in this order, included: Let Me Entertain You - Gypsy (music Styne, lyrics Sondheim),
No One is Alone - Into the Woods (Sondheim), Children Will Listen - Into the Woods (Sondheim), Nothin' Like a Dame - South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein), Some Enchanted Evening - South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein), You Could Drive a Person Crazy - Company (Sondheim), Mr. Snow – Carousel (Rodgers & Hammerstein), Fever – (Eddie Cooley & John Davenport, addnl lyrics by Peggy Lee), Shenadoah (traditional folk song), Goodbye for Now – Reds (Sondheim), Not a Day Goes By – Merrily We Roll Along ( Sondheim), Buddy's Eyes (*new* arrangement) – Follies (Sondheim), Losing My Mind – Follies (Sondheim), With So Little To Be Sure Of – Anyone Can Whistle (Sondheim), Being Alive – Company (Sondheim), When You Wish Upon a Star/A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes – Disney Pinnochio/Cinderella) and Kramer's Song - Broadway Barks (Peters).   

I was beyond thrilled to hear Bernadette sing Goodbye for Now, which Stephen Sondheim wrote for the movie Reds.  I can't remember ever hearing her sing that before and its one of Sondheim's most beautiful melodies.  

After the performance, I took all of the girls to meet Bernadette.  It's always fun seeing people look at her in awe and admiration and she's always so lovely to me and everybody.    The moral of this story is that if you'd like me to visit you, get Bernadette to come to your town and I'll be there! 

Play Reading: The River Has No Water

One of the best live events I attended in March was a reading of three plays at the Schapiro Studio Theater at Columbia University.  The evening of plays -  Strindberg’s The Stronger, Jean Cocteau’s The Human Voice and the world premiere of Danny Mitarotondo’s The River Has No Water - was conceived by director Noah Himmelstein together with Danny Mitarontondo.  

The first piece was The Stronger performed by Kathleen Butler and Patricia Hodges.  Julia Coffey performed The Human Voice.  Finally, Matt Hurley, Kathleen Butler and Julia Coffey read new original play The River Has No Water. 

Each piece looked at the elements of talking and listening and what we really hear.   The Stronger is about two women who meet - one woman never says a word, while the other can't quit talking, at first out of happiness to see her friend and then out of fear and paranoia as she reacts to the fact that her friend never speaks.   The Human Voice is about a woman who has broken up with her lover.  The entire piece is her alone speaking on the telephone to her lover, whom is never heard by the audience- she becomes increasingly anxious as she is drawn in and pushed away and truths are revealed.  It's a stunning piece and Julia Coffey performed it brilliantly.   The River Has No Water is about a son who is visiting his dying mother, who she cannot speak.  He forces himself to keep talking all the while his heart is breaking from the aspect of losing his mother.   It tied in nicely with the theme of listening.  

Each of the pieces was a one act play and although the actors were on book, it seemed like a full production thanks to Noah's smooth and thoughtful direction and the terrific acting from the ensemble.  It was an enlightening evening of theatre.  

All Hell Would Break Loose (at Carnegie Hall)

Today, at the Dorothea Röschmann and David Daniels concert with Julliard415 at Carnegie Hall, we saw a woman breastfeeding her baby.  Bringing a baby to a baroque concert notwithstanding, now I've seen everything. 

Film Screening: The Manchurian Candidate

Today, Kevin and I stood in line for over two hours to attend the TCM screening of The Manchurian Candidate.  Featured was an interview of Angela Lansbury, the terribly evil Mrs. Iselin in the film.   We sat on the front row - wonderful for the interview, but maybe a little too close for comfort for the film itself. 

Angela's diverse career and her lovely, elegant personality is a testament to just how good an actress she is in this Oscar-nominated role in this fantastic movie.   There was nothing in the interview that I didn't really know already, but her comment that the film is "raw" stuck with me - it isn't flattering and is raw and is frightening. 

It was really fun watching with a room full of the people, a very diverse bunch, in the very nice School of Visual Arts on 23rd Street.  It was clear that many in the theatre had not seen the film and it was amazing hearing their very verbal reactions to this frighteningly realistic film that is as relevant today as it was in 1962.  While we were waiting in line, we were listening to the group of teens behind us - one of the girls explained the plot to her friends with just a little slang - "it's about a dude who is brainwashed to kill."  Her friend wanted to know who the "chic" in the picture of was - "she's the chic who pulls the strings."