Making Waves from the Tweet Seats

When I was first contacted by Erika at the Associated Press about a story she was writing on PPAC's tweet seats, I had no idea of the buzz and fantastic debate it would generate.  In the week since her story went out over the wire, this blog has gotten it's first national and international recognition and I have had the opportunity to go on the air with the BBC Newshour radio program and guest blog for the National Endowment for the Arts on the role of live-tweeting within the performing arts. 

Even as a writer, I'm unable to put my excitement into words.  Let's just say it seems that big things are in store, and I for one can't wait to share them all with you!

All my best,
Sarah

Go See: Million Dollar Quartet at PPAC

There are few things that make me happier than a good dose of Johnny Cash.  The man in black has always held a special place in my heart, so I was especially excited to return to PPAC's tweet seats last night for the opening of a 6 day run of Million Dollar Quartet!

The 2010 Tony winner takes the audience back to December 4, 1956, a date that would go down in music history.  Set at Memphis, Tennessee's Sun Records, fate brings Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the King himself, Elvis Presley, into the same recording studio for one night of shake, rattle and roll.  The four part harmonies couldn't had been more swoon-worthy and the onstage musicianship had the whole audience dancing in the aisles by the final curtain call (myself obviously included!)  Million Dollar Quartet is feel good music at it's finest.  Now if I can just convince the production's Johnny to come to karaoke with me for a Jackson duet...

Tweet Seaters meet the MDQ

Read more of last night's twitter conversation at the hashtag #MDQPPAC.   

Million Dollar Quartet is at the Providence Performing Arts Center through Sunday, January 20th.  Tickets are available at the box office and online at www.ppacri.org.



 
 

Go See: Red at the Gamm Theatre

Red appealed to my inner art historian from the moment I heard it was coming to the Gamm Theatre.  A lover of all things modern art, I couldn’t wait to see the production of John Logan’s 2012 Tony Award-winning “Best Play” about artist Mark Rothko.  I have always been attracted to the stories of creative types and my bookshelf is lined with artist and musician memoirs.  That’s the reason I studied art history and took so much to modernism.  It was art that required the backstory.  Enigmatic canvasses were lit up by their context and my acquired knowledge.  It’s what makes it interesting.  A picture becomes more than just a picture, it’s a picture and the viewer’s perception.  Rothko’s modern abstraction is art that requires you to bring something to the table, and I like to show up with a feast of context and concentration.

But I know not everyone is as fond of Rothko’s color field canvasses.  I think a large part of that is a misunderstanding of the work or it’s reasoning.  I always explain to the anti-abstractionists that trips to the modern art museum require reading. Wall text is invaluable.  Viewers are active participants in the work.

I was interested how the skeptics would receive Red, especially those with the “my kid could paint that” mentality.  I hoped that in revealing the man behind the work, Rothko’s immersive layers upon layers of color would take on new meaning, and I don’t think Logan, actors Fred Sullivan Jr. and Marc Dante Mancini, and the team at the Gamm could have done a better job of that if they had the man himself on stage. 

Set in Rothko’s “grubby studio in the Bowery,” the play provides an intimate glimpse into the renowned painter’s work and the often tumultuous art world.  Fred Sullivan Jr.’s Rothko embodied the brilliance, self-aggrandizement and tragedy in the artist’s rise to fame and struggle with it’s at-times blinding spotlight. Introduced with a demeanor as jarring as the black seeping into the artist’s canvasses, it is Sullivan’s mastery of the stage and compelling embodiment of the painter’s overwhelming passion for his work that gradually endears the audience to the at first unlikeable artist.

It was a performance that reminded me why I fell in love with art in the first place. Sullivan captured the aura of the artist in a way only an artist in his own right could. The Trinity Rep actor had his assistant, Mancini, who also gave a stand out performance, and the entire audience hanging on every word.  Rothko preaching on his own work, the work of other art world greats, and life itself, teamed with the onstage dynamics between Sullivan and Mancini opened a larger dialogue on art that was both inspired and accessible to a broad audience.  It was a performance that left me thinking well into the next week, and left me wanting more.   

I knew that I was bound to enjoy Red.  The show is an art-lovers dream.  What I didn’t realize was just how appreciated the performance would be by the larger public.  It was a performance so powerful, I imagine that every audience member that leaves the Gamm will stop and take a longer look their next museum visit, a newfound appreciation for the man behind the work.  In that way, Red is play that will stay with you long after you see it.  You have until December 16^th to get to the Gamm. 

I’d like to thank Providence Monthly for the tickets to Red.  Red is at the Gamm Theatre through Sunday, December 16^th.  Tickets are available online at www.gammtheatre.org

Gift Picks: RISD Alumni Sale

Didn't make it over to the Convention Center for RISD's annual alumni holiday sale?  Don't worry, I did some browsing for you.  Here are my picks for the best finds of the sale. Ready, set, get gifting!

Amie Louise Plante’s jewelry was the first thing that really caught my eye.  When it comes to jewelry I’m always looking for the perfect statement piece, and Amie’s meticulously metalsmithed organic designs were just that.  Taking inspiration from nature, I particularly fell in love with the ocean-inspired pieces, including an exquisite barnacle linked bracelet and a knock out ring that resembled a sea fan.  If you're in the market for jewelry, it's definitely worth a trip to her Cranston studio.   www.amieplante.com, 401-663-6941

 Double Petal Ring, $140

My next stop was at Gleena, a collection of ’04 alum Asya Palatova’s playful porcelain tableware.  The simplistic designs popped in pastels with vintage animal accents, and her lion, grasshopper and kangaroo adorned cups seem fit for a teaparty. Mad Hatter not included. Check out Gleena’s designs online or arrange an appointment at her Pawtucket studio.  All designs are handmade and can be customized.  http://gleena.com, 401-484-6535

Elephant Tea Cup, $27

Don’t think my inner music lover was left out! RISD grad and luthier George Brin’s String Tinkers cigar box bodied banjos and vintage tin ukuleles were downright covetable. Brin’s inventive reinterpretation of the stringed instruments reminded me of Picasso’s Guitar in their creativity and craftsmanship.  The big difference? Brin’s beauties make music! Not only visual works of art, each instrument is carefully designed and fine tuned to be played both acoustically and electrically.  It doesn’t get more wish-list worthy!   http://string-tinkers.myshopify.com, 301-538-2344

 

Aroma DeCuba Six String Guitar, $650

I first noticed Ian Gilpin Cozzens’ work at the New Urban Arts booth.  Presented under the name Secret Door Projects, Cozzen’s screen prints are an architectural-pop ode to Providence, iconizing the creative capital in eye-catching colors and lines.  The endearing aesthetic and recognizable subject matter maker Cozzen’s prints the perfect gift for anyone wanting a piece of Providence framed on their wall, and are especially affordable for the aspiring art collector.  http://www.secretdoorprojects.org

Industrial Trust Building, $30

LeeAnn Herreid’s Individual Icons jewelry designs fashion functional objects into charming accessories. Last year I received an antique compass necklace similar to Herreid’s designs for Christmas, and it not only draws compliments, it allows me to wear my wanderlust wherever I go.  Herreid’s magnifying glass, ruler, level and thermometer designs are simplistic enough to be wearable, yet distinct enough to stand out and make a statement.  These clever handcrafted pieces would make the perfect gift for the artist, crafter or creative soul in your life.  And don’t think she left out the gentleman: Phillips head cufflinks can add a hint of inner-handyman to any man’s sleeve.  http://individualicons.com, 401-247-7867

 

1/4'' Ruler Bracelet – Inches, $40

Tonight's Picks: Laughs and Live Music

It may be drizzly out today, but that’s never kept me in on a Saturday night. Tonight I have two great picks for you involving two of my favorite things: laughs and live music.

I’ll be spending the night in Newport, checking out the Bit Players improv night at the Firehouse Theater.  The BYOB Friday and Saturday night shows come highly recommended by friends in Newport and also captured the Providence Phoenix’s Best Comedy Night Award two years running now, so I’m counting on my midsection hurting tomorrow from laughing so hard.  I’ll be sure to get some pictures and fill you in. 

Those of you who follow me on twitter (@TheRIslander & @SarahBertness) know that most nights, weekend or otherwise, you can catch me at a concert.  Big band jazz to bluegrass, I think music is good for the soul, and there’s nowhere I’d rather spend my time then stageside for a great show.  From rising talent to RISD grad bands, Rhode Island has a lot to offer the show goer, and tonight Providence is getting a real treat! 

I first caught You Won’t this year at CMJ music marathon in New York City.  In town covering the week long celebration of all that’s up and coming in the music industry for Mercy, I saw a set by the Boston duo at Floating Fest, an all-day two stage showcase organized by an RI native with some serious music chops, Connor McGlynn.  Connor’s blog I Guess I’m Floating is constantly picking the next thing that goes to the top of my and the rest of the music world’s playlist, and his lineup at this year’s Floating Fest turned me on to a lot of newbies that are guaranteed to be making names for themselves in the coming year. Give a listen to their single “WhoKnew,” and head to Fête and get charmed by the indie-folk duo tonight.  

Catch the Bit Players at the Firehouse Theater, 4 Equality Park Place, Newport, Fridays and Saturdays, 8PM, $15 at the door, reservations recommended 401-849-3473.

You Won't plays with Pearl & the Beard and Lucius, tonight at Fête, 103 Dike Street, Providence, Doors at 9PM, $13 day of show, reserve online.

 

Weekend Picks: Hockey & A Holiday Sale

This weekend has all the fixings to be a great one.  I kicked it off with a little throwback on Thayer, grabbing a bite at Andrea’s.  While the landscape on Brown’s main drag seems to be constantly changing, Andrea’s is a constant, and their Avgolemono Soup remains one of my favorite things in Providence - utterly delicious every time.  When I was growing up a quick bite on Thayer before heading to the Brown hockey game was a weekend tradition, and when you find a great combo like that it’s best to stick with it!  Friday night home games are always the best when the Brown band is playing in the stands.  Though their song catalogue has changed from what I remember (Lady Gaga at a hockey game?), most else at Meehan still feels like home.  The Bears skated to a 3-3 tie with Union tonight, and you bet I was watching from my old spot behind the home goal.

 
Tomorrow’s pick for the day is the highly anticipated 2012 RISD Alumni Holiday Sale. The annual sale brings together work from hundreds of RISD graduates and local artists, and if the pieces I saw at RISD Works are anything to judge by, there will be something for everyone on my list and then some! I plan on getting a load of my gift shopping done and collecting the rest of the set of this year’s Buy Art pins! The sale will take place from 10AM to 5PM at the Rhode Island Convention Center, and is $7 admission, with proceeds to support RISD scholarships.

Last Night at Craftland & RISD

TGIF Rhode Islanders!  I hope you had a chance to make it out to some of the great events going on in Providence last night.  After getting some work done in my favorite new downtown writing spot, Metro Cafe,  I headed over to Craftland for the Buy Art reception.  The five original artworks that inspired this year's buttons were on display, and I was surprised to see Alison Paul's "Cornelius and the Sea" in three dimensions, built as a diorama in a cigar box! 

I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Buy Art Program Director Margie Butler, who I had exchanged emails with for my Providence Monthly piece, as well as Providence Art Culture and Tourism Deputy Director Stephanie Fortunato.  

After having a browse through Craftland finding items to include on my upcoming holiday gift guide (and my In Downcity Secret Santa wish list- check out this beauty of a ring!), and grabbing a Maria DiFranco button, I was on my way across the river to the RISD Museum.  

I got the Metcalf Auditorium just in time for the screening of Christo's Valley Curtain.  The documentary short showed the installation of one of the French land artist's first monumental installations, and the interactions between him, Jeanne-Claude and the Colorado installation team had the audience utterly charmed! A perfect ending to a Thursday evening!