BSO tickets for under 40

This is a bit late, but still worth mentioning. The BSO has a program providing $20 tickets (actually it’s $25.50 with handling) for people under 40. Here’s the relevant info:

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, $20 tickets are available now through the remainder of the BSO season for patrons under 40 years of age. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis on both the orchestra and balcony levels. You may purchase one pair of tickets per performance but choose as many dates as you like! Purchaser proof of age is required and may be faxed prior to your concert to 617-638-9400, or you may show a photo id at the Box Office when you pick up your tickets. Please include your order number on your fax.

A pretty great deal any way you look at it, although I’m already going to a few concerts through their Flex Pass program. Hopefully will make it over to Symphony Hall sooner than later, although A and I have had to keep putting it off because of his schedule. Stay tuned.

Scarce at The Plough and Stars

So I didn’t make it to the Crystal Stilts or the +/- shows, but I did wind up at The Plough and Stars last week to see this band originally from Rhode Island that M likes called Scarce. (The photo above is from a previous show from this year.) The band has an interesting history involving a near-fatal brain hemorrhage, which you can read about here. That recounting ends with their breakup, but on their MySpace page you can find more information about how they got back together.

They had a show at T.T.’s a couple weeks ago that I missed, but the show at The Plough and Stars, while probably an anomalous introduction to the group (being acoustic and sans drums), was quite enjoyable. In their acoustic incarnation Chick Graning’s voice contributes a lot to my feeling that the group reminds me of Archers of Loaf’s Eric Bachmann’s subsequent bluesy band Crooked Fingers. There’s also a bit of Frank Black’s solo sound (also bluesy) mixed in. On their album, however, the group rocks much harder, so I think the acoustic sound is rather a separate beast.

Either way, though, I’ve been enjoying what I’ve heard. At the show I saw, the duo (which includes Joyce Raskin on bass and pretty much equally-divided vocals) were clearly having fun, and the whole set had a nice, relaxed feeling. The chord progressions have a nice amount of surprises thrown in that keep the songs feeling fresh, and the duo’s vocals work nicely together. After they finished they took a break and then came back with a short set of older songs. Highlights among the newer songs were “The Hurricane” and “Between My Teeth” (neither of which have been recorded yet, alas), and “Ocean Blue”, a song that Raskin supplied yearning, almost chanteuse-y vocals to. Of the older songs one that particularly stood out was “Sense Of Quickness” from their first album. If you’re looking for a CD they’ve got some for sale on their MySpace page and some mp3s on Amazon.

I’m looking forward to seeing the group again, acoustic or not, although it seems they’re going to be taking some time off to record their new album. Also have really been getting to like the shows at The P&S, which are small but nice and laid-back and clearly for fans of good music instead of fans of whatever trendy band happens to be in town. Will be trying to get myself over there more in the coming months.

SpeakEasy’s The Seafarer

[The preview for this review is here.]

Last week I saw SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of The Seafarer at the Boston Center for the Arts. SpeakEasy has made a specialty of local productions of works recently premiered in New York (and more recently, London). I’ve come to expect a pretty decent standard, although generally nothing too surprising.

This particular production didn’t really change my perception, although the group certainly wasn’t helped by the substandard play which, although has some successful comedic elements, is in the end little more than a rehash of A Christmas Carol. D and I argued about the merits of the play itself, which felt poorly paced, clumsy, and completely unconvincing. No doubt better direction would have improved my reaction, although still not enough I think to cover up its defects. Ben Brantley’s review of the original New York production in the Times emphasizes the superlative acting he saw, which certainly would also have helped.

As it was, there were drawbacks to both the production and acting in SpeakEasy’s production. For one, the two leads didn’t give any sense of being brothers with a long history, thus cutting out the pivotal relationship in the play. The acting in general was adequate (although most of the Irish accents seemed a bit off to me), but the only one among the cast who was really convincing was Billy Meleady as the central character, Sharky. His wiry tension and buried anger were so well delineated that in the climactic scene when Sharky explodes it feels like a completely natural release.

Ah well. Not much else to say. The production ended last weekend, but a set of highly complimentary reviews have been collected on SpeakEasy’s website, including the Globe’s and the Phoenix’s. Haven’t come across anything I’m looking forward to in town next year in theater, but I’ll probably try to catch one of the shows at the A.R.T.

Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown

Quick restaurant review. Happened to go to the Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown (52 Beach St.) twice in two weeks. The first time I had the Ma Po Tofu, which was nice and spicy and also I think used soybean paste which I like, along with the Vegetable Steamed “Ravioli” (i.e. dumplings) which although not as good as Wang’s Fast Food in Somerville were still quite good and way better than the usual Chinese restaurant. A had a pork dish and the pork dumplings, and he enjoyed both as well. The second time I went I came away less impressed. The “Home Style Bean Curd” I had was in a greasier brown sauce and unfortunately had chicken in it, and the Steamed Vegetable Buns had a good filling but they were more bready than doughy, i.e. on the heavy side. D’s chicken entree was likewise on the heavy side. All in all, though, it’s still definitely one of the better Chinese places I’ve eaten at in Boston. And someone on Chowhound has kindly scanned the menu , which is handy if you’re a compulsive checklist-ticker-offer like I am. Their menu’s pretty big, though, so it’ll keep you (i.e. me) busy for a while.

“Luminous Windows” at the MIT Museum

[The preview for this review is here.]

Oof. I’ve gotten behind. Clearly I’ve been going out too much and not doing enough writing. Here are some thoughts on the MIT Museum’s new exhibit Luminous Windows: Holograms for the 21st Century, though, which was a little more than a week ago.

The new exhibit consists of six new works, that “[represent] artistic and technical advancements in the field of display holography”. The most successful of them are “Thera” by Ikuo Nakamura which combines holography and video of a woman in an interesting way, and “Insights” by Michael Bleyenberg which is abstract. The images are on display from Massachusetts Ave. throughout the winter, so it’s definitely worth checking out if you walk by it in the evening (e.g. if you’re on your way to or from the Miracle of Science which is just a few blocks away).

The accompanying opening was very low key, but fairly well attended. The museum provided free admission, snacks, a DJ, and activities for children which, although only tenuously connected to the theme of light, successfully drew families in to see the new exhibit. Better yet, though, was the chance to see the museum’s expanded facilities and permanent exhibits and, in my case, to reacquaint myself with some impressive collections that I hadn’t seen in years.

Two exhibits in particular, are worth highlighting. The first of these, (and special attention must be given to it, considering the occasion of the new exhibit opening), is the museum’s permanent holography exhibit, from which the two images in this post are taken. The exhibit has an impressive range, and although a lot is focused on the simple “cool” factor, there are several moments of surprising emotional resonance. The exhibit would have benefited tremendously from a more detailed look at how holograms are made, but, alas, instead we are forced to make do with only two very sketchy panels of information.

The second noteworthy exhibit was the collection of kinetic sculptures by Arthur Ganson. Having just seen the fantastic Calder exhibit at the Whitney in New York City it’s easy to see the roots of Ganson’s inspiration. Ganson combines Calder’s love of the mechanical with Calder’s whimsy, creating sculptures that are often motorized and perpetual, illustrating tiny little human truths or dramas or just fun entertainments with materials as varied as a wishbone, black oil, or little slips of paper.

Both exhibits are extremely audience-friendly, unlike the majority of the rest of the museum which in general just seems far too cluttered with text. The MIT Museum seems a bit awkward in its presentation overall, combining science, history, and art into one uncohesive whole. As a result the exhibits alternate between being either far too scientific and technical or virtually completely ignoring the scientific side (in the latter cases the exhibits reach about the level of the Museum of Science, which most of the time seems more full of toys than information). In any case the museum is worth a visit for the holography and Ganson exhibits alone. Visiting information can be found here.

Petit Robert in Kenmore Square

Went to Petit Robert in Kenmore Square a couple of weeks ago after an acquaintance raved about it as a “real”, everyday French bistro. The experience was indeed a nice change of pace from the stiffer places in the South End, and price-wise it is more in the everyday range. Both factors seemed to be reflected in the clientele, which was much more mixed than those other places, and included families with children and more younger couples.

But unfortunately food-wise the restaurant as a whole didn’t particularly impress. Which is kind of too bad, because the service was quite good, as was the presentation. I started with the vegetable paté and A had smoked herring filets. Apparently I was feeling hungry, because I also ordered the potato and leek soup and the “garlicky salsify and parsnips persillé”. All of them were fine but nothing special, although the latter was surprisingly tasteless and must go down on record as the least parsnip-tasting parsnips we’ve even eaten.

For our entrees A had the calf’s liver which was cooked well but disappointing due to its sauce being too vinegary; he also found it odd that all the entrees came with the same sides. I had the crispy lentil cake, which had a sort of bubble and squeak feel to it, but was decidedly not crispy; but I appreciated it anyway, seeing as how vegetarian options are few and far between. We ended with the pumpkin tarte (a special) which was, like much of the meal, on the bland side. Although we both appreciated the effort to provide Boston with a more casual French bistro dining experience (in the fairly restaurant-less Kenmore Square at that) and although the meal itself was fine, on the whole this just isn’t a place we’re likely to come back to in a hurry.

Apparently they’ve also opened a location in the South End. It looks like The Globe has reviewed both locations twice (not sure why), all of which seem to be fairly complimentary. The reviews on Yelp, which are less glowing, seem to be more accurate in general, a difference between the two sources that I’ve been more aware of lately.

Upcoming for December

In general I’m pretty picky about going out to see theater in Boston, but I’m intrigued by the SpeakEasy Stage Company’s The Seafarer at the Boston Center for the Arts. Their description is:

A 2008 Tony Nominee for Best Play, “The Seafarer” is a funny and
haunting alternative to traditional holiday fare. On Christmas Eve in
North Dublin, Sharky Harkin finds himself reluctantly hosting old
friends at the rundown house he shares with his older brother. A lot of
booze and card-playing carry the men into Christmas Day when Sharky must face the grim promise he made to one of his guests decades ago.

Half-price tickets are available at GoldStar.com.

Will also be checking out the MIT Museum’s new holography exhibit:

Throughout the winter beginning at dusk, the MIT Museum presents an exhibition of contemporary, three-dimensional holographic artworks displayed in the windows, viewable only from outside the Mark Epstein Innovation Gallery. Featured will be holograms by six international artists whose varied imagery represents artistic and technical advancements in the field of display holography.

Will try to make it to the opening this Friday, although my sources tell me it’s probably going to be more kid-friendly than not:

December 5, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Lighting Ceremony and Opening Celebration
Free admission, refreshments and street festivities

A few shows coming up I may hit as well. Love is All + Crystal Stilts at Great Scott in Allston next Monday, December 8. The latter is described by one as “the love child of The Jesus and Mary Chain + Joy Division”, haha. Their MySpace page is here.

+/- is playing The Middle East Upstairs the following night, but I’m probably going to have to pass, being too wussy to go to a show two nights in a row. Yes, I’m getting old. [Update: It looks like the show has been moved to Saturday, December 13. But I'm going to be out of town! Darn.]

So looks like that’s the next couple of weeks figured out. Phew!

Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s The Merchant of Venice

[The preview for this review is here.]

Caught Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of The Merchant of Venice last week. Of the three ASP productions I’ve seen thus far this one was probably my least favorite. Upon reflection I think a fair amount of the problem may have been the space, which was significantly bigger than the Harvard Square location where I’d seen them before. The theater, in the basement of Midway Studios at Fort Point Channel, is interesting in and of itself, with a balcony and a small spiral staircase, but its size proved to be unwieldy. Although the direction made fairly good use of the mostly bare stage, the actors, particularly the younger ones, had a tendency to shout rather than project, and overplay their roles rather than focus on the text in the way I’d seen in their more intimate settings. Part of this I think is also due to the post-Baz Luhrmann tendency for actors to deliver Shakespeare in a college frat boy sort of way, relying far too much on broad physical gestures and CON-STANT STRES-SES ON EV-ERY SYL-LA-BLE.

As for the production itself, in general I agree with The Globe’s comment that “the scenes never quite connect” and that as a whole the production is “too disjointed to be effective”. (Although I disagree with Byrne’s comment that “the subplots featuring Portia’s suitors gambling for her hand in marriage and Shylock’s daughter, Jessica (Sarah Augusta), eloping with Lorenzo (Jason Bowen) feel less like romances and more like two more business transactions,” because I found that choice actually helped unify the production.) My main gripe is that despite each scene working fairly well, somehow the overall motivations and emotional connection to the drama get completely lost. Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship, upon which the conflict of the entire play is based, is far too understated, as is Shylock’s final bitter defeat in the climactic courtroom scene; and in this production the moment where Bassanio risks all to win Portia’s hand in marriage is completely devoid of tension. The subplot involving Portia and Nerissa fooling their husbands ends the play merrily enough, but again without much connection to the rest of the play.

Despite the overall lack of focus, there was more than enough to keep one’s attention and a fair number of interesting touches. I generally don’t like underscoring in plays, but there was some nice sound design, including the soft sound of coins clinking during some scenes. Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, was directed as very young which makes her betrayal seem convincingly naive, and Jeremiah Kissel has deservedly received unanimous praise for his portrayal of Shylock. Kissel’s seething, manic portrayal is both sympathetic and tragic, and his hatred and lust for vengeance are compellingly repellent. His scene with Tubal is certainly the most emotionally honest moment in the entire production. I was a bit disappointed in Sarah Newhouse as Portia, and to a lesser extent Marianna Bassham as her maid Nerissa: I’d seen them in a previous production, and they just didn’t seem to bring enough unique characterization to their roles here.

The group has archived a fair number of reviews of the production on their website, including The Phoenix’s and EDGE Boston’s. And if you’re looking for more info on the play and its historical context, Wikipedia, as usual, doesn’t disappoint.

So even though it’s not a home run, ASP still provides a worthy take on Shakespeare’s classic and some fine acting, particularly thanks to Kissel as Shylock. The production is playing through December 7, so you still have a few more days to catch it.