Some thoughts on… Conservative Rage

Muslim rage has been a topic of conversation for the past few months.  Syria, Libya,  Yemen, Pakistan are examples of countries where citizens have expressed fury at the government leading to political instability.  Some have speculated that this may be a common theme across Muslim countries where the population feels it is losing control of its destiny.  The attribution that Islam is a contributing factor to the unrest seems simplistic, especially given that we are facing similar rage here in the United States.

Despite a tough economy, the overwhelming win for Barack Obama, may be less a nod towards the achievements of the President, and more a rejection of the policies espoused by the Republican Party.  The systematic disenfranchisement of ethnic groups, women, gays and lesbians, had a backlash in the election this year.  The vote was a clear renunciation of the call for continued “traditional American achievement” which could be interpreted as older, white, male conservative achievement.

In addition, future demographics are not in the GOP’s favor.  Their current constituency was on obvious display at the Republican National Convention this year, where the audience’s homogeneity was a prominent point of discussion. Unless a more centrist candidate comes forward, it may be difficult to sway the younger generation of voters who see the party as an out-of-touch, aging grandparent.

So now, it is conservatives’ turn to be angry.  Many feel they have lost their country and don’t see what can be done to regain the past glory.  What can the conservative party do to regroup and be a strong voice in politics again?  Let’s see what the Arts have to say.

Bring it On is the story of competing high school cheerleading teams, based on the film franchise.  One school is white, upper-class headed by an ambitious Eve Harrington, a young ingénue willing to do anything to win.  The other is an urban, multi-racial one that is more disjointed in leadership.  The themes for the musical are not new.
What is new are Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rat-a-tat lyrics evoking our culture and lingual diversity while at the same time complementing traditional musical-fare, along with the skyrocketing choreography of the teams.  Miranda may be the heir to Sondheim.  The parallels to the current election are apparent, but the twist is that in the end, the rich school wins the top prize.  The learning is that the top dog may still be successful, but the victory is tainted by the deals made to get there.

Bond is back in Skyfall, which one-ups Casino Royale. The movie takes on the question of the utility of a beat-up and broken, cold-war era spy in a cyber world.  The 50 year series needed a re-boot and with Sam Mendes direction, it got one.    Bond’s hand-to-hand combat has little use, in a world where economic markets can be destroyed by the click of a button.  A poignant scene is when the new Q (played brilliantly by Ben Whisaw) who is half Daniel Craig’s age provides him only with a gun and remote tracking device –  no more fancy cars, no more shooting pens that are old-fashioned and redundant.  Bond’s job is just to pull a trigger and know when to do so.  The movie demonstrates that there is still a role for an old spy, but he needs to be surrounded and supported by the younger generation.

The revival of Cyrano de Bergerac, is an opportunity to see the historic play, updated with a fresh translation.  The story of the dare-devil swordsman with the heart of a poet and the nose of a pig is always timely.  His love for Roxanne which is translated through the cipher of a younger, more handsome cadet is heartbreaking and humorous.  In this production, Douglas Hodge brings the panache and energy required for a larger than life character.  As the story ends, Cyrano decries the things in his life that he fought against -

prejudice, cowardice and compromise. He promised never to surrender to these ideals, and because of this he dies having spent his life paying visits to his true love as no more than a friend.

Rage is an easy outlet, but eventually reflection will be needed to regain a strong voice.  The GOP will need to drop its alliance with the far right and rediscover its more centrist voice.  Like Romney, if a future candidate makes deals with ultra-conservative but promises to govern from the center, the populace will distrust her ability to do so.  It will need to embrace the new America, which is different from the traditional America.  This includes a younger generation that overwhelmingly supports gay rights, a Hispanic population that demands fairer immigration laws, and women who refuse to lose their reproductive rights.  Not compromising may be a good ideal for a fighter and poet like like Cyrano but not for a political party.  Otherwise the GOP may be become as obsolete as a pocket pen with shooting bullets from the 1960’s.

November 11, 2012

Some thoughts on… Reaffirming Faith

In the past weeks, three momentous events have reaffirmed my faith in people’s ability to make choices that better society. The first was the vote by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in favor of the constitutionality of the individual mandate within the Affordable Care Act. By doing so, Justice Roberts brought on the ire of the conservative wing and rose above partisan politics. The second was the discovery of the Higgs-boson – the eagerly-awaited and elusive “god particle” that helps prove super-symmetry in the universe. Although the investments needed were derided, the payoffs to academic theory are worthwhile. The third was that Libya, a country controlled by Saddam Hussein two years ago, is now holding democratic elections. Though not yet complete, the passion of the people to transform the country is remarkable.

Recent shows on Broadway and the West End have echoed this theme that people will make the right decisions to help the broader good.

The winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Once, follows a similar story-line to the movie but infused with Celtic music. Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti are destined lovers from separate worlds who meet through their mutual attraction to music. Filled with a heart-warming score that glows and glistens in its deference to Czech and Irish traditions, the show captures the tainted longing of a relationship that can never be. The chemistry of song, cast and choreography is a passionate concoction of kindness.

The producers of the two-act, South Downs/Browning Version, have ingeniously combined a new script by David Hare with Terrence Rattigan’s one-act play to create a whole fabric with patchwork from different decades. Taking place in a British public school in the 1960’s, both works describe a context of dreariness and pain broken by a searing gift of generosity which sets the protagonists adrift and subsequently on a better direction. The main character in both books begins on a path of obstinacy only to be changed unexpectedly not by a climatic event, but an anti-climatic one. The play is showing for a limited period so catch them soon.

The theater production of Leap of Faith, started with buzz and enthusiasm which burned out due to funding. The New York Times article describing the rush to bring the show to the Great White Way is revealing of production hubris. Expecting cheese and proselytizing, I left the show buzzed by an enthusiasm that glossed over its flaws in an earnest attempt to please. It is disappointing that the cast recording wasn’t produced since Alan Menken’s music though guarded at first becomes spiritual and uplifting by the end.

Trust in our leaders consistently needs reaffirmation; we want to believe in good leadership as they ask for our faith when making decisions. The momentous occurrences of the past weeks reverberate these themes. All the events have been unexpected, generous and passionate. We could not have hoped or prayed for them even a year ago making them feel like a gift. The actions bring us together as a society and demonstrate zeal in their inception. We need to appreciate these momentous events when they happen, as they force us to raise our eyes towards the remarkable and gives us hope to overcome the obstacles we face daily. July 8, 2012

Some thoughts on… Rolling Along

With China and Russia vetoing a UN Security Council resolution for the resignation of President of Bashar Al-Assad, the Syrian government has been allowed to continue rolling its forces through Homs. Meanwhile, Iran keeps playing its cat-and-mouse game with the International Atomic Energy Association around the militarization of its nuclear program.

As these countries hold strong on their chosen paths, two other countries have made a radical departure recently. Myanmar, ruled by a military Junta for the past few decades, has changed its domestic election policies enough that the US has re-established a diplomatic mission; and North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un has agreed to conduct talks in March with the US on its nuclear arsenal.

It is interesting to consider how we are in a global situation, where Burma and potentially North Korea are closer allies than Syria and Iran. When does it make sense for a country or person to move away from their momentum path towards an alternative direction? Let’s see what the Arts have to say.

Iran’s submission to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language film, A Separation, should be the lock-in winner. A husband and wife in Tehran are unwillingly moving apart. She wishes to take her daughter abroad to study. He wishes to stay in Iran to take care of his aging father. This family dispute unravels and spills into other lives and circumstances leading to unpredictable situations. Like a snowball gaining momentum down a mountain side to eventually become an avalanche, the movie demonstrates how people viewing only their own perspectives, quickly lose their ability to halt the sequence of events they unleash.

As with many Iranian films, the story is an analogy to inter-country disputes, especially the one between the US and Iran, and how simple misunderstandings lead to a conflicted state of affairs despite the best intentions of individuals. The movie is a must-see glimpse into the lives of middle-class and upper middle-class citizens of Tehran. Filled with an educated populace, a functioning transportation system and an objective judicial system, Americans will be surprised at the similarities with our own lives. This is country far removed from the mayhem of an Iraq or the restrictions of Saudi Arabia.

The recent New York revival of Merrilly We Roll Along was a chance to see one of Stephen Sondheim’s rare shows. The original debuted in 1981, was on Broadway for sixteen performances and is filled with memorable numbers firmly in the Sondheim canon. The narrative begins with a celebration for the main character, a film producer and composer, whose new production has made a lot of money. It is quickly revealed though how the commercial success glosses over his personal failures. The musical’s sequence of events is told in reverse-time, demonstrating how the person originally destitute but filled with personal wealth came to be in this situation.

The production poses the question: Can we identify the point in our lives when a certain decision leads to the present situation? By the end of the show, we realize there is no single point. The protagonist always plans to make a meaningful musical and spend time with his family, but ends up chasing commercial success instead because it’s easier. Frequently, we end up where we are because we continue to follow the current path.

Iran and Syria are rolling along their momentum path unwilling to consider options outside of what they have done in the past – hiding their nuclear program and tyrannizing their people respectively. Similar to A Separation, this myopic perspective of holding tight to their current plans may lead to consequences which they are unable to fix. The question facing the US and the rest of the world is whether we can provide options to them that are sufficiently attractive to prevent them from doing the easy thing – letting the snowball merrily roll along to destruction.

February 20, 2012