Everyone's a Critic 2015

Everyone's a Critic is our Winterim (what is Winterim?)

Everyone's a Critic is two weeks of art, theatre, music, dance, and food! 

Everyone's a Critic is students writing reviews about all those experiences.  

Click on a student's name below to see their reviews from our cultural adventures: 
 

Check it out: candid shots from Everyone's A Critic

How do we begin a review? That's the hook, that first sentence that draws in the reader.  

Take a look below to see the amazing events we've taken in around the Boston area: 

Week One
Boston Gay Men's Chorus

Coby Goodrich
Anna Duffy
James Finneral









The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

James Curley
Jonathan Coombs
Lilly Harvey
Vanessa Hsiao
Ryan LaPointe
Lisa Li
Emily Pisacreta
Ebie Quinn
Theresa Rauh
James Curley



Peabody Essex Museum

Vanessa Hsiao
Lisa Li







Cape Anne Brewing Company

Anna Duffy









Danu @ Shalin Liu

Jonathan Coombs
Lilly Harvey
Emily Pisacreta






The Glass Menagerie @ Trinity Repertory

Ebie Quinn
Ryan LaPointe
Theresa Rauh
Lisa Li
Anna Duffy
Coby Goodrich
James Finneral
James Curley


Montein Restaurant
Vanessa Hsiao


Tristen and Yseult @ arts Emerson

Jonathan Coombs
Lilly Harvey
Ryan LaPointe
Emily Pisacreta







The Museum of Fine Arts

Jonathan Coombs
Vanessa Hsiao
Lisa Li
Emily Pisacreta
James Finneral
Coby Goodrich
Theresa Rauh
James Curley





The Colored Museum @ The Huntington Theatre

Jonathan Coombs
Anna Duffy
Coby Goodrich
Ryan laPointe

The Harvard Museums

James Finneral
Ebie Quinn

Mr. Bartley's Restaurant

Lilly Harvey








Mass MoCA

Vanessa Hsiao
Ebie Quinn
Theresa Rauh
Emily Pisacreta
Lilly Harvey






 

The Clark Art Institute

Jonathan Coombs
Anna Duffy
James Finneral
Lilly Harvey
Lisa Li
Ebie Quinn
Coby Goodrich
Therresa Rauh



A Rite

Jonathan Coombs
Emily Pisacreta
Ryan LaPointe






The Beehive

Coby Goodrich
Vanessa Hsiao











Big Fish

 

Jonathan Coombs
Anna Duffy
Ebie Quinn
Vanessa Hsiao
James Finneral
Theresa Rauh

 Stella Restaurant

Emily Pisacreta

 

Boston Symphony Orchestra: Mozart Symphonies no. 39,40,41

Jonathan Coombs
Coby Goodrich
Lisa Li

Candids 2015

our last night at the Boston Symphony Orchestra

 

 

at the beach in Gloucester



MassMOCA in front of SolLeWitt
 



Sypmhony Hall



Symphony Hall



Museum of Fine Arts

The Clark Museum



Williams College Library



Symphony Hall



MassMOCA



Symphony Hall

Symphony Hall



MassMOCA



Lisa and Jack (Herb Ritts)

When did Mozart Become so Moody? by Lisa Li

            Wow. Having fallen asleep in classical music concerts for years, I was completely awake for the first time in the concert presented by Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) on March 19^th. Surprisingly, the BSO presented compositions of Wolfgang Mozart, which normally puts me to sleep. We know Mozart for his archetype classical style, including steady rhythm and tempo, light-mood and graceful melody, clarity and balance between instruments in presenting melodies and harmonies. Listening to Mozart is like watching classical ballet; with musicians expressing courteous manner and applying strictly ruled techniques. The Mozart symphonies presented by BSO—Symphony No. 39, 40 and 41—were different. In these compositions, Mozart appears to be unexpectedly emotional, which constantly excites and surprises the audience. He no longer strictly applied the classical music format, introducing the audience to the prelude of the Romantic Era. Listening to BSO’s performance, we discover a new Mozart, who tries to break out of his classical shell and express his emotions freely in his compositions.

            The second piece presented in the concert especially pulled me into the dancing bows on the violins, leaving my heart still my heart vibrating 10 hours later. Although composed in a classical-style symphony—fast movement, slow movement, minuet, fast movement—Symphony No. 40 presents an unusually romantic and lyrical melody. The four movements work with each other to create conflicts and tensions, which is what makes this piece especially exciting. The symphony starts with a fast movement in the key of G minor, with a rhythm of 2/2. The movement is dark and intense, with full of dramatic changes in volume and tempo. The melody often drifts in and out from its original minor key to a major key, creating a sense of nervousness. Listening to the first movement, you feel like walking through a medieval European dungeon, dark and nerve-racking, with torches still burning on the wall. Then you are immediately brought into a relaxing garden in an open field by the second movement of the symphony. The movement is in E flat major, the only movement in a major key in this entire symphony. The melody is very lyrical, slow and soothing, with rather steady tempo and not very dramatic volume change. Sometimes tension is created from a sudden switch from major scale into a harmonic minor scale, but they are mostly quickly resolved. You may consider that as the breeze that blows by the field. Now, take a deep breath, because the third movement will accelerate your heart rate again. Although labeled as “minuet,” the constant twists and turns in the melody are nothing you would want to dance to. The minuet returns to the key of G minor, but has a 3/4 time. It starts in a very angry mood, with two counterparts knitting a discorded sweater together. The melodies of the counterparts sometimes complement each other, but most the time clash into each other like two arguing brothers. In one part the wind instruments would bring the melody to a major key, where the tension between counterparts resolves. The melodrama in the melody, however, quickly resumes, bringing you to the fourth movement, in which you will feel like driving up and down in the mountains. The fourth movement returns to G minor and 2/2 time, like the first movement. Sometimes the violin leads the melody, as if asking a question. The wind instruments and other strings would respond to the question in a loud, rebellious tone. The instruments also always play in 16th notes, or even 32th notes, creating the texture of a wind. So many tensions and imagery are portrayed in the Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. I was never bored listening to it because every movement of the piece present me a different surprise. It felt like I riding a rollercoaster of Mozart’s emotion, with my resonating with every twist and turn.

            After going to the BSO concert, I was genuinely surprised by how moody Mozart became in his late composition era. I was also very glad that he finally broke the strict format of classical music, realizing that his music should not just please the king or other people, but should also serve as his own emotional relief. I was incredibly fascinated by the live-performance of Mozart’s moody pieces, so I would recommend you to go to the concert. However, to be completely honest, the concert was almost three hours long, and if you are not a huge fan of classical music, you will feel so bored and struggle to wait for it to be over. If that’s the case, don’t come to the concert.

Go Sooth Your Soul by Coby Goodrich

            The Boston Symphony Orchestra delivers power, grace, respite, and sooths your soul. On a chilly night on March 19^th, the critic crew traveled into Boston to watch the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Symphony’s theater was impressive, with two balconies over an expansive base section, and a clean stage backed with white walls and outlined in an intricate pattern of gold design. The orchestra played three different pieces from Mozart; his 39^th, 40^th, and 41^st symphonies. The stage was dominated by violins, but also held many other instruments such as drums, basses, flutes, brass instruments, and a couple more.

            Music has a way of soothing and calming people (depending on what genre), and the BSO did just that. The orchestra was sharp on their timing, and kept their time beautifully. The music captivated not just me, but as I looked around it was evident on the faces of many others that it was captivating to them as well. I don’t know much about the specifics of music but I can say that it sounded very professional and very good. The music wrapped the audience up in a blanket and held them comfortably for the entire performance.

            If possible, I would definitely advise going to see the Boston Symphony Orchestra, although I would not recommend taking young kids as they might think it boring. The music will take you from reality and offer you respite in its soothing and powerful sound.

                   

A Fresh Cup of English Tea by Jonathon Coombs

                I know this title is very confusing, as I am not writing about a restaurant. I am talking about the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which I saw on the 19^th of March this year. The reason I have the title that I do is that I don’t drink English tea, I hardly drink tea. So the performance for me… really wasn’t my cup of tea. That doesn’t mean it was poorly performed, it just means I have a hard time extending myself beyond my preferred genre of music. Let me explain, with a bit of history of myself with music and then I’ll get to the performance.

                Until the time I was six (I think, may have been earlier may have been later) I didn’t like music. At least, I didn’t pay it much mind. Then, my father bought the American Idiot album by Green Day. That was the first time I really enjoyed music and wanted to hear it. Later on my brother and I got the video game Rock Band, which showcases songs from, obviously, the rock genre. Then I picked up the viola, a stringed instrument and I played in my school orchestra. That is when I started to listen to a bit of classical music. Then I picked up the trumpet and played in band, while simultaneously playing in the orchestra. This gave me a foundation in big band and jazz pieces. However, through all of this I still prefer rock music, from its punk, alternative, and metal, which caused me to pick up guitar.

                Now that you know where I’m coming from you’ll understand this paragraph. So if you read one sentence of the last paragraph and thought that it had nothing to do with the review you are wrong. Anyway, the music is performed beautifully. I haven’t listened to many Mozart performances but I feel this was a standout performance among them. The conductor kept a lively energy, being constantly engaged and using his whole body to conduct. The musicians played amazingly, understanding the music and using that to their advantage. Through the concert there were many parts where quiet instruments took the melody, so the louder instruments had to reduce their volume quite a bit. That was one downside to where I was seated, during those sections I heard the melody only. However, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t despise it, nor do I think it was bad. This is just the type of music I would rather hear when I am sitting on a bus doing nothing than go to a concert to listen to.

                So… you are wondering if I recommend it. Otherwise there is no reason to read this review. Unless it’s you mom, in which case hi mom. But the rest of you… or maybe dad to. Hi dad. Anyway, if you enjoy orchestral music to a point where you want to see it live and can tell the difference between different conductors take on pieces, then go see this you will love it. However, to other people, if you do not enjoy Classical music then don’t see it. This is a case that is completely down to personal preference, so don’t let a guy on a blog like me tell you what to think.

                Rating: A clever punchline delivered to people who haven’t heard the first part of the joke. It is enjoyable, but in my case I was the wrong crowd to appreciate it.

Stella Was a Hella Good by Emily Pisacreta

I have never felt more important than when a waiter at Stella’s Italian restaurant used tongs to place a cube of the best garlic bread I have ever tasted onto my plate. Located in the South End of Boston, this is not your traditional Italian restaurant. With sheik, long white tables and glass- backed chairs the restaurant did not feel like a place where you would get a good, home-style Italian meal. However, that is exactly what I got.

            We sat down at the table, and immediately two waiters were on either side of the table to help answer our questions about the menu. While we sat deciding on food we were constantly getting refills on our waters and being offered more bread. When it was finally time to order, I decided on a Caesar salad and spaghetti with cheese and garlic sauce. Now, I love Italian food, so I was excited for my meal. But starting with a salad in a bowl as sheik as the interior of the restaurant, Stella’s surpassed my expectations. I could have eaten only the salad all night; the dressing complimented the cheese and small chunks of leafy green lettuce perfectly. I had to stop myself from filling up on the salad, because the next course was promised to be even more delicious. And let me tell you, it was. My mouth is watering just describing it to you. Heaped tall on a plate, the spaghetti was drenched in the best garlic, oil sauce I have ever tasted and topped with little cut up basil leaves. It was rich and perfectly gooey with garlic that tasted as fresh as I’m sure it was. The cheese added even more flavor, but didn’t over power the meal. I tried so hard to finish the whole thing, but had to stop when I felt like I was going to explode. If I could go back right now and eat more of that spaghetti, I would, I would eat it all day long.

            Stella had not only great food, but also a great atmosphere, and looking out at the streets of Boston it provides a fun and modern mood. The waiters were friendly and the food was delicious to say the least. For a new experience in Italian food, I’d say Stella is the place to go.

Big Fish? More Like No Fish PLEASE by Vanessa Hsiao

There’s a reason why some musical are not on Broadway anymore. On March 18, 2015, I saw Big Fish by Speakeasy Theater Company at Wimberly Theater. If you are a parent taking children in grade school to a musical, this is perfect. If that’s not you, I do not recommend this musical. Period. But really though, Big Fish was not entertaining and became more of a joke to the audience.

Edward Bloom tells these crazy, exaggerated, irrational stories to his son, Will whom on the opposite hand, is more realistic. As Edward gets closer to death, Will gets curious and discovers the truth behind his father’s bizarre stories. Though this storyline sounds kind of interesting, it got boring real fast. It felt that the whole production was trying so hard to be funny, metaphoric, and original. The actors singing and acting skills was not the issue, it was storyline and production that made it go downhill. First, act 1 was so long that I just wanted to get out of my seat and could not focus on the show. Act 2 had the same number of songs but it was more condense and had less dialogue but more singing. By the end of the show, it felt like a joke. It was not funny, entertaining, and everyone understood the metaphoric meaning at the beginning of the musical.

This musical felt too forced and became uninteresting. With act 1 being too long, it did not help the audience to be awake and engaged. If you want to see a long, boring, cheesy musical, this would be the best musical you will ever see.

 

 

Such a Big Fish by Theresa Rauh

“That was my father's final joke, I guess. A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories.” This is a quote of the musical “Big fish” we visited last night. It is about a son trying to get to know and understand his father.

Edward Bloom always tells mysterious stories and fairy tales about his life. But there are so many different stories and versions, that his son fells he doesn’t really know him. Edward Bloom became a story himself for his son and the people around him. In telling the story of his life it is impossible to separate fact from fiction, the man from the myth. His son fears that the stories are hiding a darker history and they are. Sort of. Maybe. You don’t know what to expect concerning this man. He delights everyone around him with his “larger-than-life stories” as a salesman. When Edward Bloom is diagnosed with cancer and about to die, the family comes together and his son is starting to get to know and understand the stories and therefore the man. He finds out not only how his father met his mother but also how he left his little town he had lived in his entire life and saves it, as it is about to be drowned. Edward Blooms love towards his family can be seen in every aspect of all these stories. The big fish is an ongoing metaphor for Edward Bloom, who not only himself left his “own pond”, but also motivated other people to “move on”. It can also be seen for example as a metaphor for the relationship between Edward Bloom and his son. As Will Bloom discovers and gets to know his father’s “pond”, in which his father once was the “big fish”. The musical starts and ends with fishing a “big fish” and therefore in my opinion the connection is made, that someday even the biggest fishes are caught and brought out of the water and people start understanding each other’s actions, as the mysteries and stories about a person are uncovered and the element of truth comes out. The metaphor of the “big fish”, which goes through the entire story, can be interpreted in many different ways, which I really like.

The acting as well as the singing was pretty good. I really liked the stage settings too. They contained some interesting special effects, like knives throwing or images of the actors projected above the stage, to keep the stage setting entertaining. Also some of the costumes were really complex and imaginative. The fact, that the performance was a little kitschy in some ways can be seen more in a positive way in my opinion than in a negative way, because is also among other things a point that brought life in the show. Overall, I really enjoyed the show and liked the metaphor of the “big fish”.

A Big Time Performance of Big Fish by James Finneral

            Speak Easy Stage Company’s rendition of Big Fish will take you on an unforgettable journey. On Wednesday, March 18th we traveled to Boston Center for the Arts to watch a production of Big Fish. Big Fish is musical based on both a novel and a movie telling the story of Edward Bloom of Alabama. Edward is known to tell a lot of farfetched stories and anecdotes especially to his son Will. Will feels as if he does not know his father very well because of all the unbelievable stories he tells. At Will’s wedding Edward’s doctor notices that Edward has lost some weight and appears to be in pain. He suggests that Edward come in to the doctors office to be checked out. At the doctors office it is concluded that Edward has fast growing cancer, but he does not want Will to know that. When Will figures out about the cancer, he really wants to build a stronger relationship with Edward. Will and his wife, Josephine, look through some of Edward’s old possessions when they find a deed signed by both Edward and his high school crush, Jenny Hill. After this Will constructs a list of all the stories that Edward has told him over the years, to try and get a better understanding of him. The show then adds in a series of flashbacks of Edwards stories. Will goes to Edward’s bedroom and asks him about the deed and Edward lashes out at him. Will proceeds to visit Jenny Hill where she tells him the true story of how Edward saved his hometown of Ashton. When Will returns Edward continuously asks him how his death begins, but will doesn't know because he was never told the story. The two then head down to the river where they used to fish, all of the characters from Edward’s stories meet him to say goodbye. A funeral is held for Edward and the play is ended with Will singing “Be the Hero” to his son which is the same song Edward sung to him as a child.

            First off the acting in this performance was very solid. Although there were a few cheesy moments the actors put on a very believable performance in an extremely fictional play, which can be hard to do. I would love to go through all the actors, but I’ll just highlight a couple. Sam Simahk as Will Bloom provided the whole package of quality acting and singing. Simahk delivered incredible solo performances and also worked well with his fellow other actors. His presence on the stage was incredible and without him the production would have been completely different. Steven Goldstein also had an unforgettable performance as Edward Bloom. Goldstein did a great job both acting and singing. The set of the show was interesting as there were a couple of sheets in the background where there would be projections to show the setting of the scene. I think this was a decent way to show the scene, but there could have been a more effective way to do so. In terms of the style, they were very much trying to re-create and exact story instead of letting the audience know that it is just theater. I believe that style worked well for this performance because the story of the play almost required that method. The most impressive thing about this performance was how clearly the story was told. There were many flashbacks in the show and they were done so cleverly that they were easy to identify as an audience member. Watching the performance I never had to work extra hard to figure out the story because the play was executed so well. Both the director, Paul Daigneault and the actors deserve credit for the clear story telling.

            You should certainly view this production because of the great story to go along with some excellent music. I promise that you will not be perplexed through the entire show because it is done in a way that makes it understandable to all audiences.   

             

Big Fish, more like medium fish, or maybe even small fish by Ebie Quinn

            I recommend Big Fish as performed by the SpeakEasy Stage Company to anyone who is a fan of mediocre musical theatre. And by that I mean, don’t go if you are expecting to be wowed or impressed immensely. Big Fish was originally a book written by Daniel Wllace, and then a Tim Burton movie. It also had an unsuccessful run on Broadway, which to me made perfect sense. The SpeakEasy theatre company performed this show at Roberts Studio Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion. It is a smaller version of the Broadway show, with a reduced cast and smaller band.

            Big Fish is inherently a story about a father, and a son, and their tumultuous relationship. The two characters act as foils for each other throughout the show. The dad lives in a world of fantasy and tells many lavish exaggerated stories to everyone and more specifically to his son. The son is a self-proclaimed “realist”, who is very fact-focused and not very accepting go his dads stories. The musical switches back and forth from a young version of the son to an older version of the son. The story truly begins at the son’s wedding, where he has just learned of his fathers illness. He also just recently found out that his soon to be wife is pregnant. This turning point in the son’s life provides him an opportunity to better get to know and understand his dad, and he fears that the things he finds out won’t be positive. His dad was on the road most of his life and he always came back with many fantastic tales, involving witches, a mermaid and a very clever giant named Karl, all of whom the audience gets to see. The son’s goal is to chronicle the events that his father told and try to distinguish between fact and fiction. Most of the show consists of the stories.

            Many relationships are explored throughout the musical. The son and the father are constantly fighting and having revelations, and while for some people it seemed to be heart-wrenching, for me it felt cheesy and forced. While this actors didn’t lack talent, and the set didn’t lack creativity, the show overall lacked spark. Often after coming out of an amazing show, the audience members will feel a sort of “theatre high.” I’m sure this is something you have experienced. It is a feeling of happiness and it comes from a place of pure thought-provoking entertainment. I never experienced anything even close to that at this show. I was never blown away, if anything I felt indifferent. It seemed that this show was trying so hard to be original and different, but to me it seemed like a horrible cliche with random fantasy stories thrown in. But hey, that could just be me. The show was constantly striving for poignancy at every turn, but when you have lines like “I’ve been drowning since you left me”, right before a flood comes to the town, I’m going to have trouble taking you seriously. This constant attempt at creating “moments” was just not successful for me as an audience member.

            Overall, I think I might have struggled with the simplistic story itself more than anything. I want to take the time to give the actors credit, and also anyone who was involved with the sets. Many of the actors were phenomenally talented, and I think they did the best they could with the show they were given. The set was also cool and entertaining. I can only imagine the amount of work it would take to produce such complex set and costumes. I found the stage to be very visually interesting, and for me, these things were the highlight of the show.

            I don’t want to completely turn you off to the show. It wasn’t bad by any measure, it just wasn’t great. Not everyone shared my same opinion, and some people around me seemed to enjoy it just fine. You can judge for yourself, was this story amusing and poignant, or the epitome of mediocrity.

Inauthentic Fish by Anna Duffy

            The hook for this review was used to catch a big fish. Get it? I attended the musical Big Fish on Wednesday March 18, 2015 at Wimberly Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. This production was presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, and is directed by Paul Daigneault and the music and lyrics are by Andrew Lippa. Big Fish is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Motion Picture written by John August. The story revolves around a dying father and his son, who tries to learn more about his father by recalling stories and legends about his father’s life.

            Big Fish is a cheesy, rejected Broadway musical that is too long. One moment that showed the tackiness of the play was when the father was launched out of a cannon at a carnival. Sound effects were made when he “blasted off”, and a video of an animated person shooting out of a cannon was projected on the top of an arch around the stage. How cheesy is that! Also, the story of the production was shown and told in a narrative way, and did not make you think. It was very straight forward, and there was no abstract meaning behind it. Lastly, this musical was way too lengthy. It was about three hours long, which is too long for a non-Broadway show.

            Big Fish is a non-thought-provoking, wannabe Broadway musical that is unnecessarily elongated. Its unrealistic projections, cliché plot, and extensive period in which it was shown show my points. I do not recommend going to see Big Fish.

A Single Tear by Jonathon Coombs

                Have you ever had a moment where you know something sad is about to happen so your eyes begin to water before anything has happened? Well, that’s what happened to me on the 18^th of March this year while viewing Big Fish in the Speakeasy theatre. I know the part I teared up on was a bit cliché, but it still touched me. Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything in this review.

                Big Fish, in the nature of its title, deals with a struggle of knowing a person who makes up tales of their accomplishments. This is the conflict that carries the plot of the story, with the main character Will trying to find out who his father Edward really is. In my obviously professional opinion, it is a story that hits incredibly close to home. I find enjoyment from telling stories and entertaining the people around me. So I saw myself in the Edward character, as I know the feeling of wanting to tell incredible stories instead of things that actually happened.

                The singing is well done, as it doesn’t feel forced. In most musicals the singing seems to happen in a different dimension then the rest of the play. Events where characters start coming on stage to sing and then disappearing after it’s done. In Big Fish, there is a reason for each song to be sung and for the people that are singing it to be singing it. Whether a character is telling another a story or is explaining frustration the songs and singing go along very well with the plot. As well, most musicals set a bit of a barrier in my opinion from a character when they are singing and when they are not. To me most musicals- I haven’t seen very many but I’ve acted in quite a few- take a bit of humanity away from a character when they are singing, putting the emphasis and focus on the singing instead of staying in character. In this play the actors remember that they are still being a character when they sing, and put their characters emotions behind the singing to drive it home. Also, a point to make is the instrumentation behind it. I feel sad that the musicians weren’t given more credit other than a mention in the program and a point offstage at the end of the play. The music, in any case, is or should be the crutch that holds up a song. This can be for songs in musicals and songs in general. The music in this play is not only the crutch, but something that begs to be listened to. I had to stop myself from getting lost in the instrumentation because I knew that important plot was happening. You can take that as a god or a bad thing, because while it sounds really good it’s not a good thing that I want to be listening to the music alone.

                I feel like I should mention the set, the props and the quality of the acting. But I won’t. I feel that the others in this Winterim will focus on those aspects more than the music and singing. So I will leave them to write about those, and if they don’t, then I guess you’ll just have to see the play to figure that out.

                Overall, I give this a see. One reason I only say this is really because of the experience I had inside the theatre before the play and with the program. I have never seen so much self-promotion in a theatre before and it felt a little much. Maybe it was just from the somethingith anniversary they had and a special sale they had because of it. It just lasted forever, and I did not appreciate that. So, go see this play if you want something to break the monotony of everyday life and want to see characters that have humanity in them.

                Rating: One tear out of breaking down sobbing in the middle of a theatre. This is a good thing, because you don’t want people to know you cried at it. So one tear is perfect because you transfer all of your emotions through that one tear, and then you can hide it. So see the show.

The Beehive Will Get Your Taste Buds Buzzin’ by Coby Goodrich

The Beehive Will Get Your Taste Buds Buzzin’ 

Descending a dim staircase and through a heavy curtain, the feel of the restaurant immediately matched the quality of the food. The Critic crew traveled into Boston again on March 19 to see the show Big Fish. Before seeing the play however, the crew had to refuel at dinner. Next to the theater is a restaurant called The Beehive, and we went in to eat and try the food. 

Upon entry, the Beehive is a very quaint restaurant. Old brick walls enclose a softly lit upper dining area, with impressionistic paintings hanging around the room. We were greeted by enthusiastic and polite waitresses, who led us down a wide staircase to the lower level. Heavy dark curtains masked the lower level from above, and when we passed through, more soft lighting and a quaint appearance again welcomed us. A central bar also took up extra space, which resulted in a cozier setting and a good use of space. A small simple stage was also located in the back of the room, which holds live jazz music some nights. We were then seated and a very friendly waiter took care of us for the rest of the night. He told us about the food and answered all questions regarding unknown food names, as well as actively engaging with us. When the food came, its presentation was very attractive. The setup showed that the cook had taken time to put each plate together and the food not only looked good, but tasted good as well. With recommendation from the waiter, I went with the Beehive Burger (very original). It was very far from your basic burger however, and was cooked perfectly with a special sauce on top that caused the flavor to enhance even more. The meat was well seasoned and the juices were “bomb” (an expression taken from our waiter). 

This is easily my favorite restaurant thus far and if you find yourself in Boston for dinner this is a place you should definitely consider. Its old-fashioned appearance and feel is very welcoming, the food is great, and the service is friendly and fun. 

High Expectations Gone Wrong by Vanessa Hsiao

A restaurant with perfect service, unique atmosphere, and delicious sounding dishes, what could go wrong? The restaurant was underground and had a funky and bohemian feel to the place. The service from the moment I stepped into the restaurant until I walked out of the restaurant was friendly, enthusiastic, and energetic. The menu was simple but difficult to read by the small bolded font with not much space between each item. The restaurant was expensive but the price range is expected from a nice, semi-formal restaurant.

I ordered the short rib farmhouse cheddar & fontina grilled cheese. I love grilled cheese and short rib and was intrigued by the combination. The plate was plain and was served with cucumbers and coleslaw. The grilled cheese was quite big and overly filled with the short rib. The bread of the first half was nicely grilled. The cheese was perfectly melted in the sandwich and tasted good. However, I did not enjoy the grilled cheese with the short rib. The combination tasted quite weird and felt like I had put two completely different dishes in my mouth at once. It didn’t exactly belong together. The short rib was decent but it tasted more like pulled pork. By the time I reached for the second piece, the bread had become soggy and cold. I disliked the consistency and the combination just did not work for me. I ended up eating the short rib alone, however I could not even eat the second piece because of the bread.

The people I went to Beehive with ordered burgers, salads, and steaks and were very satisfied with it. It might have just been that one dish that did not exactly work and definitely left a negative note for me.

The Rite… it LEFT Something to be Desired

            See what I did there? Since Rite sounds like the direction right, and left is the opposite… never mind.On March 17, 2015 I saw The Rite performed by SITI Company with Bill T. Jones Dance Company. It was quite the experience… just not the Rite one for me.

I am hilarious.

Anyway, I’ll start with the good. The dance is spectacular, with the ability of the dancers obviously pushed to their limits. The amount of sweat falling off of the dancers faces could have filled an Olympic swimming pool. I guess I won’t limit it to the dancing, all of the movement was incredibly well done. There was one bit where a person was walking on chairs being placed in front of her, when the people holding the chairs lifted them off the ground. As if this wasn’t enough, they turned the chairs sideways, so the person walking on them was walking on a horizontal plane being supported by two people holding her. That is just one example of the extraordinary movement to be found in this piece. As well, the dialog is well said, with good timing as well as good lines. Some lines delve into the nature of humanity, asking the audience why we perceive time as only moving in one direction. It is a very thought provoking experience, and in that aspect it would gain enough of my saliva to run its plumbing for weeks. However, for me there is one major downside.

There is little or no plot. There is nothing to hold the whole thing together, giving the lines little to no reason to be there. The people are just dancing, the actors are just speaking. There are hints to what it may be about, mostly coming from one character. As soon as this character appeared, she broke the fourth wall. Throughout the play she asked the dancers and actors questions of if they knew about the audience, if they wanted to change anything about their current state. These sections hint that the play may be a commentary on acting and theatre, showing the humanity and realization that comes with acting in a play. However, those sections are diluted with a plot that feels crowbarred in. Throughout the play, there is a solder character. He has the first monologue in the play, and some events in the play are catered to him. However, he is never explained, he is just there and has lines. He has problems sure, and it is interesting. I just never understood what he was doing for the play. If they justified his existence somewhere it would have made sense and I would have been completely fine with it. However, even the play addresses the confusion over what its about. The lady that broke the fourth wall had an entire section where she tried to explain what the play was about. Eventually she settled on “It’s about sex. A primal human instinct to be satisfied.” However I think the play had very little to do with that.

I guess the deciding factor of this is whether you like a plot in a play. If you want to see dancing there is certainly a lot of that and it is amazing. However there is no plot.  Think of it like this: My opinion is in a play, the plot is glue to hold all of the movement and dialog up. You can have the finest materials to build a house, perfectly sanded and painted wood, but it won’t stay up if there is no cement to keep it together. So as a play it’s a not that great. If it had been labeled as a dancing experience with dialog instead of a play then I would be much better towards it.

Rating: Sony getting hacked again and again. It’s a good company and they do a lot of hard work, they just get criticized for having bad marketing and PR.

Great as a Dance Performance, Confusing as a Play by Ryan LaPointe

On Tuesday, March 17, we saw A Rite, performed at the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance, located on Williams College campus in Williamstown, Massachusetts.  A Rite is the product of seamless collaboration between Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and SITI Company.  It is an exploration of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which was incredibly controversial in its time, causing a riot in the audience on opening night.

Because A Rite was performed by a combination of a theatre company and a dance company, I was initially unsure where it would fall on the spectrum between a theatre performance and a dance performance.  I discovered that it leaned heavily towards a dance performance.  While there were several monologues and a couple of dialogues throughout the piece, the main focus was on the dance numbers.

I was impressed and entertained by the many dance numbers, but the story being conveyed by the dances was completely lost on me.  At one point in the performance, I recognized that the red-haired girl was being sacrificed, but I was only able to gather this because I had prior knowledge that someone was supposed to be sacrificed.  That was the only point during the performance when I had any idea what was going on in the story being told.

There were some numbers in the performance when music was produced solely with vocal noises made by the dancers.  To be clear, they were not singing; the variety of noises they made would not sound melodious per se.  However, combining these noises and adding a rhythm resulted in very interesting and good music.

During the few dialogues that the show contained, the cast sat on chairs downstage in a row facing the audience.  In these dialogues, they would often break the fourth wall—and sometimes mock the audience—with phrases like, “It's hard to listen.  Listening is hard,” “You don't care about the audience,” and, “Well, this is my job, and I need a paycheck.”  I found these dialogues to be the most humorous part of the performance.

All considered, I would recommend this performance of A Rite, albeit I was completely unable to follow the plot of the show.  I highly enjoyed the excellent dances, and I was amused by the often comedic monologues and dialogues throughout the show.  The content of the performance is more than capable of standing on its own, without an understanding of plot or deeper meaning.

Be Inspired, and Beware of Bears by Lisa Li

 

           When I first got to Williamstown, the only thing I could see on the horizon were mountains covered with snow, rising against the sky. Breathing in the misty mountain air and feeling so close to the clouds, I was surprised that there were people who lived there. I was even more surprised at the beautiful art museum, Clark Art Institute (AKA The Clark), built just at foot of a mountain. Chartered by couple Sterling and Francine Clark, the Clark Museum was built in 1952 and opened to public in 1955. It collects a wide range of art styles and forms, including Old Master Paintings, 19^th century European Paintings, Impressionist Paintings, American Paintings, European and American decorative arts…you name it! Such a wide variety of arts resulted from the Clark couple’s expeditions around the world and their ardor for arts. Walking through the Clark museum, you could smell the scent of history and the luxury of artistry.

            What fascinated me the most was Gallery 1, the first room you walk into in the classical wing of the museum. A rectangular room with grey walls and dim lighting, the room was simply designed. In the center of the room was a large cubic wall dividing the front and the back of the gallery. Artwork is displayed on each wall of the room and each side of the cube. The simply designed room makes artworks especially stand out to the viewers. The gallery mainly collects American oil paintings that portray the monumental power and mysteries of nature, which resonates with the museum’s close-to-nature location.

            When I walked into Gallery 1, a wall of paintings of the ocean by Winslow Homer gave me chills. Every painting portrays a different aspect of the ocean, but all are dark colored and consist of tumultuous waves, to show the graveness and monumentality of the ocean. Undertow, one of the few paintings by Homer has human figures, particularly caught my attention. Inspired by an accident in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1883, the painting depicts the image of two lifeguards saving two women from drowning in the ocean. In the center of the paining are two women, one of whom leans against the wave with her eyes closed, barely alive. To her right, other woman lies on her stomach against the wave, face down, hanging her arms on the other woman’s neck. Their bathing dresses are soaked wet from the water that has almost devoured their pale, fragile bodies. Two rescuers, each grabbing on to one woman, struggle to drag the women to shore. One of the rescuers’ clothes are torn into pieces by the relentless waves. On the left, the rescuer who leads the way has already lost his clothes and helmet, leaving him only in grey shorts. A huge wave, taller than he is, splashes into him from his right, engulfing his body. He raises his right arm and struggles to fight against it, but his brawny biceps seem too week comparing to the roaring wave. The ocean, painted in different shades of blue, appears so three-dimensional that it looks like it is coming toward us. It covers three-fourths of the painting, and seems like it has no end. Looking at the painting, I wondered, how vast is the ocean? How close is the shore to these people? Are they going to survive the attack of the undertow? All of these factors are unknown. Winslow portrays the vastness and strength of the sea waves and the vulnerability of men to show that men are always too small and weak compared to nature. The unknown factors of nature further provokes human’s fear for nature because it creates unstable situations that humans have no controls over. The painting reminds me that I do not have the control over my life and death. I cannot stop a lightening from hitting me, nor can I prevent cancer from growing in me; only nature can make these decisions. The series of ocean painting by Homer sets a serious tone to the museum. It wakes you up in the morning by reminding you of a significant truth in life.

             In Williamstown, a town that is so closely associated with nature, we spend a lot of time appreciating the beauty of nature. Gallery 1 of The Clark Museum reminds us the danger of nature with its collection of paintings that portray nature’s power and mystery. It reminds us that while the beauty in the Williamstown fascinates us, we always need to beware of bears that may attack us at any moment. Don’t be too scared and depressed by my review, however. The Clark Museum is not all about such serious topic. Right after you walk through Gallery 1, the light-colored impressionist art in Gallery 2 will lighten your mood. I highly recommend that you visit The Clark Museum. Both the design of the building and the artwork are very high in aesthetic value. It is so carefully designed and well crafted that it will not only inspire you, but also teach you to beware of bears.