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
Monday, July 9, 2012
Monday, February 20, 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
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
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Some thoughts on… Renewing Oneself
With an election year upcoming, Obama faces a tough battle. Despite passing landmark legislation (DADT) and handling tough foreign policy choices (Osama bin Laden), the economy in the US has lagged and with it his prospects for second term. The critics are cutting him little slack and even loyalists are questioning strategy. To win the campaign, the President will need to renew his image from an outsider driving hope to an insider creating opportunity.
But how do any of us really renew ourselves? Let’s look to the arts for some ideas.
The reimagining of the Broadway musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever has an inspired premise. In the original production the tension, where a psychoanalyst by conducting hypnosis falls in love with the past life of his client, was firm but not taut. The revival with Harry Connick Jr. as the physician changes the patient’s gender to a man and heightens the inevitable love triangle. The doctor’s self-confidence is shaken professionally by falling in love with a patient, personally by questioning his attraction to a man, and spiritually by throwing out his academic knowledge in the belief of an after-life.
The first step to renewal is a crisis of confidence whether it be in oneself, our support network (family/ friends), or in the institutions surrounding us (work, state, government). The quandary provides the catalyst for change. In the case of On a Clear Day, Connick’s character must choose either to end his career or change his beliefs. While the production’s revisions are clever and the actors are terrific, there is not sufficient charm to lift the material. By the end we feel we feel pleasantly hypnotized but can’t seem to remember what was so enjoyable.
John le Carre’s novel Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy has a new film adaptation that wipes away the veneer of the seductive Bond stereotype to reveal the rotten underbelly of espionage. The head of British Intelligence is forced out and then killed after he suspects a mole lies at the top levels of his team. His protégé George Smiley played in silent awe by Gary Oldman is brought out of retirement to create a secret group outside of British Intelligence (“the Circus”) to find the mole. Smiley was forced out of the Circus at the same time as his boss and since his life has been interwoven with work the ousting was his crisis of confidence.
His secret to renewal though is not revenge but reflection. He persistently, methodically, unemotionally, replays the information to find the mole. Oldman is glorious as a hyper-rationale man in the midst of chaos. His face barely quivers a sentiment as he step-by-step reclaims what was taken. Especially fascinating is how the film maker portrays this period of reflection. The scenes are quiet tension with a pervasive dread that the plans will be revealed. There are no heart-pounding action scenes, or special effects dazzlery. The director films the scenes as if they are an optical illusion. Like Smiley, we observe the action through windows, glasses, or bars never participating but always a voyeur. This film is a must see for any Bond, Bourne, Mission Impossible fan. It calmly wallops them away.
In the French movie, The Artist, renewal comes not just to the protagonist but to an entire genre of film. Jean Dujardin is George Valentin, a silent-movie era hero who is brought down by the advent of talking pictures. Luckily, the hero has a supporter who watches over him through his mistakes, downfall and eventual redemption. This is not a new plot line (see Sunset Boulevard or Garbo Talks), but the revelation is that the story is told as a silent movie and the audience forgets that there is no dialogue.
Having lost his career Valentin, faces a crisis of confidence and passes through years of reflection for not choosing to move into the Talkies. His renewal occurs once he overcomes his pride and recognizes that he needs the help of others to be successful again. When one has been on top, swallowing your self-importance is not easy, but is likely the hardest step to renewal. Dujardin is charm and light in the show, and he along with the film, director and production are easily the ones to beat at the Oscars. Silent movies are on top again this year.
Obama has already encountered the first two challenges to renewal – facing a crisis of confidence and reflecting on his actions and judgments. To ascend in the polls, it is the final challenge of pride, which will be the toughest. In his case, pride comes from a belief that multi-lateral negotiations are the key to success. On the international landscape this noble intention has borne out well. In the domestic field, he will need humility to recognize that he needs to drive some agendas unilaterally, e.g. job creation. Although he does not like playing in the mud, he will need to get his hands dirty for the good of the country.
Happy ReNew Year everyone.
December 31, 2011
But how do any of us really renew ourselves? Let’s look to the arts for some ideas.
The reimagining of the Broadway musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever has an inspired premise. In the original production the tension, where a psychoanalyst by conducting hypnosis falls in love with the past life of his client, was firm but not taut. The revival with Harry Connick Jr. as the physician changes the patient’s gender to a man and heightens the inevitable love triangle. The doctor’s self-confidence is shaken professionally by falling in love with a patient, personally by questioning his attraction to a man, and spiritually by throwing out his academic knowledge in the belief of an after-life.
The first step to renewal is a crisis of confidence whether it be in oneself, our support network (family/ friends), or in the institutions surrounding us (work, state, government). The quandary provides the catalyst for change. In the case of On a Clear Day, Connick’s character must choose either to end his career or change his beliefs. While the production’s revisions are clever and the actors are terrific, there is not sufficient charm to lift the material. By the end we feel we feel pleasantly hypnotized but can’t seem to remember what was so enjoyable.
John le Carre’s novel Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy has a new film adaptation that wipes away the veneer of the seductive Bond stereotype to reveal the rotten underbelly of espionage. The head of British Intelligence is forced out and then killed after he suspects a mole lies at the top levels of his team. His protégé George Smiley played in silent awe by Gary Oldman is brought out of retirement to create a secret group outside of British Intelligence (“the Circus”) to find the mole. Smiley was forced out of the Circus at the same time as his boss and since his life has been interwoven with work the ousting was his crisis of confidence.
His secret to renewal though is not revenge but reflection. He persistently, methodically, unemotionally, replays the information to find the mole. Oldman is glorious as a hyper-rationale man in the midst of chaos. His face barely quivers a sentiment as he step-by-step reclaims what was taken. Especially fascinating is how the film maker portrays this period of reflection. The scenes are quiet tension with a pervasive dread that the plans will be revealed. There are no heart-pounding action scenes, or special effects dazzlery. The director films the scenes as if they are an optical illusion. Like Smiley, we observe the action through windows, glasses, or bars never participating but always a voyeur. This film is a must see for any Bond, Bourne, Mission Impossible fan. It calmly wallops them away.
In the French movie, The Artist, renewal comes not just to the protagonist but to an entire genre of film. Jean Dujardin is George Valentin, a silent-movie era hero who is brought down by the advent of talking pictures. Luckily, the hero has a supporter who watches over him through his mistakes, downfall and eventual redemption. This is not a new plot line (see Sunset Boulevard or Garbo Talks), but the revelation is that the story is told as a silent movie and the audience forgets that there is no dialogue.
Having lost his career Valentin, faces a crisis of confidence and passes through years of reflection for not choosing to move into the Talkies. His renewal occurs once he overcomes his pride and recognizes that he needs the help of others to be successful again. When one has been on top, swallowing your self-importance is not easy, but is likely the hardest step to renewal. Dujardin is charm and light in the show, and he along with the film, director and production are easily the ones to beat at the Oscars. Silent movies are on top again this year.
Obama has already encountered the first two challenges to renewal – facing a crisis of confidence and reflecting on his actions and judgments. To ascend in the polls, it is the final challenge of pride, which will be the toughest. In his case, pride comes from a belief that multi-lateral negotiations are the key to success. On the international landscape this noble intention has borne out well. In the domestic field, he will need humility to recognize that he needs to drive some agendas unilaterally, e.g. job creation. Although he does not like playing in the mud, he will need to get his hands dirty for the good of the country.
Happy ReNew Year everyone.
December 31, 2011
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