RED EYE OF LOVE
Amas Musical Theatre at the Dicapo Opera Theatre
184 East 76th St. at Lexington Ave.
Tickets: $35-$45 August 27 – September 3, $35-$55 September 4-28 ($10 discount codes available here)
www.amasmusical.org
Billed as “a Girl-Meats-Boy Love Story,” Red Eye of Love is a new musical comedy about Selma Chargesse (Alli Mauzey), a woman who is forced to choose between materialistic meat store baron O. O. Martinas (Kevin Pariseau) and young idealist Wilmer (Josh Grisetti) in a fantastical New York City. Filled with double entendres that are likely to infuriate PETA — watch out for the dancing cows — the show is directed by Tony winner Ted Sperling (The Other Josh Cohen, The Light in the Piazza), with book and lyrics by the late Arnold Weinstein and John Wulp, based on Weinstein’s 1961 play, which earned Wulp an Obie as Best Director; the music is by Sam Davis. The costumes are by Martha Bromelmeier, with choreography by Lainie Sakakura and Alex Sanchez; the sets are by American artist Robert Indiana, from a 1998 revival of the play. The Amas Musical Theatre production also features Dylan Boyd, Katie Chung, Daniel Lynn Evans, Tracie Franklin, Katie Hagen, Daniel May, and Sam Tanabe. There are several special postshow talk backs scheduled, including “Conversation and Collaboration from Play to Libretto” on September 7, “Conversation and Collaboration from Libretto to Musical” on September 11, and “Further Conversation with Author John Wulp” on September 21.
TICKET GIVEAWAY: Previews for Red Eye of Love begin August 27 at the Dicapo Opera Theatre, with the opening set for September 2, and twi-ny has three pairs of tickets to give away for free for performances through September 28. Just send your name, daytime phone number, and favorite, or least favorite, meat food product to contest@twi-ny.com by Friday, August 29, at 12 noon to be eligible. All entrants must be twenty-one years of age or older; three winners will be selected at random.
In 1909, Prince Luigi Amedeo, the Duke of the Abruzzi, sought to climb to the summit of K2, the second highest mountain in the world after Everest, bringing with him writer Filippo de Filippi and photographer Vittorio Sella to document their journey. To celebrate the centennial of that seminal event, alpinist and mountain guide Fabrizio Zangrilli gathered a team of climbers to attempt to reach the top of K2 in 2009, bringing along first-time director Dave Ohlson to capture their daring adventure. Situated in the Karakoram mountain range along the Pakistan-China border, K2 — one of the fourteen legendary “eight-thousanders” (mountains of more than eight thousand meters) — stands 8,611 meters tall, challenging climbers with a death rate much higher than that of Everest. “The will to just try something big, something dangerous, something extraordinary — it’s part of who we are,” says one member of the team, which includes Zangrilli, Canadian mountain guide Chris Szymiec, Austrian alpinist Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, British mountaineer Jake Meyer, and German cameraman David Göttler. As they make their way across the treacherous Karakoram Highway and through Skardu, the Baltoro Glacier, and Concordia, Ohlson cuts between thrilling still photos and film footage from the 1909 trip and the 2009 attempt, delving into the history of the spectacularly beautiful area and emphasizing how difficult it is to reach K2’s summit. “Everest and K2 aren’t even the same sport,” Szymiec says. Joined by a group of porters, they find obstacles every step of the way — and it gets even more threatening the closer they get. The film reveals the depth of the human spirit and the fierce power of nature, especially when the team has to stop when a friend dies while skiing down the mountain. Watching the seventy-five-minute documentary, you just might consider taking on K2 yourself someday — and then you’ll quickly change your mind and settle back comfortably into your chair. K2: Siren of the Himalayas opens August 22 at the Quad, with Ohlson and Jason Reid, one of the producers and editors, participating in Q&As following the 4:30 and 8:05 shows on Friday and Saturday.
Approaching fifty, Steven E. Bram was looking for something different in his life. A maker of sports documentaries, a New York Jets fan, and a Dead Head, Bram realizes, “I’m hungry for a deeper kind of spirituality,” as he says in his new film, Kabbalah Me. “The challenge is where to find it.” Bram thinks he may have found it when he is led into the world of Kabbalah, the mysterious and mystical side of Judaism. The married father of two heads off in search of faith and wisdom in the film, which he made with music video director Judah Lazarus, journeying from Crown Heights to Jerusalem as he attempts to fill this major void in his life by investigating the myriad mysteries of Kabbalah. The pilgrimage leads him to relatives he’s never met before and charismatic rabbis, every one of whom has a unique interpretation of not only what Kabbalah is but when someone should enter its realm; one rabbi considers it dessert after the big meal of traditional Judaism, but others believe it’s open to anyone at any time. Meanwhile, Bram’s wife, Miriam, and his business partner, Bob Potter, are confused about his search; his spouse, in particular, is concerned about whether her husband is going to become a different person from the man she married — and, as the film shows, these are certainly legitimate fears. “I guess I have to take it one step at a time,” she says. “I mean, I prefer he not be too extreme because that would be in conflict with what I want.” But the seemingly kindhearted Bram continues his quest for fulfillment in what can certainly be considered selfish ways, and that can be a bit off-putting to viewers who don’t know him. His friends in the film may give him the benefit of the doubt, but to strangers he can come off as more than a bit overly self-involved. In addition, viewers looking to learn a lot about Kabbalah from the film will be disappointed, as it only breaches the surface with multiple explanations, resulting in more questions than answers. But Bram still manages to be an engaging character, and it’s easy to follow his exploration while wondering if there’s anything missing in your own life. Kabbalah Me opens August 22 at the Quad, with several weekend screenings followed by a Q&A with Bram.
