BSO, review by Kara L’Heureux

Entering the Symphony World 
By Kara L’Heureux

You have entered a world that is the closest things to magic that we have. I have never been to any symphony before, I was unaware if I would stay awake the whole time, but sitting in that room surrounded in the most beautiful, epic, and out of this worldly music I couldn’t help but be entranced and fall in love with the symphony.

The grand hall that holds the Boston Symphony Orchestra is the Symphony Hall. This hall is grand with its high molded ceilings, marble statues towering above the audience, and a stage complete with a ginormous organ.  The atmosphere in that room was one of elegance.

The first symphony was Mozart NO. 41 in C “Jupiter”. This piece was as classical as it gets. It had a sea of violins divided into two sections and several other string instruments that took attention. This symphony was long but elegant and had many rising and falling motions. It was a beautiful way to start the night.

The next piece was by Augusta Reed Thomas, who was in the house that night for the world premiere of Cello Concerto NO.3 “Legend of The Phoenix”. This Piece was a more modern turn to the night. With soloist Lynn Harrell who played the cello hauntingly the piece was dark and screeching but mesmerizing with its touches of light.  For its world premiere the audience was  on their feet for many bows and loved the strange but magical piece.

After the modern piece came the epic ballad by Saint-Saens, Symphony NO. 3 in C minor, opus 78, “Organ Symphony”. This one was close to a movie soundtrack, it carried a vary of emotions and showed many different sections through many ways. To top it all off Organist Oliver Latry accompanied the orchestra and gave this song a deep rich feel. Many audience members were brought to tears at the performance.

The entire symphony was conducted by Christophe Eschenbach, who led the orchestra with his swift and elegant movements. The orchestra preformed its own kind of dance as they move in unison moving their hands and heads as they played. The change of instruments in between songs was mechanical and machine like as the performers switched chairs.

You go to the symphony for two reasons, one for the music and the other for the experience. The music fills the room and pulls you into a new world. It captivates and sparks imagination as you listen and space out to another world. It’s a new experience I encourage everyone to try.

Raisin in the Sun/Clybourne Park, reviewed by Kara L'Heureux

You Can’t Live in a Principle 
by Kara L'Heureux

Where A Raisin in the Sun leaves off Clyborne Park picks up. The two plays connect but Clyborne Park takes it further showing how these problems occur over time and still are around today.

2012 Tony winner for best play, Clyborne Park takes place in the same house in two different times. One house is owned by a small white family in 1959 and the other, from the second act, in 2009 the same house in a now in a prominently black neighborhood. Though time has changed many things about the house and people who live near and in the house, those same problems and issues still occur.  The play centers on race and the change in race and race treatment over time. In this small house the audience can see from the story that time can change so many things but some things still stay the same.

In act one the house the owners are Bev and Russ, two middle class white citizens who are about to move to a new house. The unique circumstances of this story show the other side’s point of view of the family who lived in the house the Youngers from A Raisin in the Sun were moving to. Russ and Bev’s normal lives are confronted with a problem from the neighborhood committee when they learn a colored family wants to move into this white neighborhood. As if they need more trouble stopping them from moving to a new house to leave behind the memory of their soldier son who killed himself. We soon find out things in this neighborhood are not a nice as would have seemed with many people wanting the colored family not to move in and willing to pay them not to come.

The characters in this first story are split into several different groups, racists, non-racists, blacks, whites, activists and bystanders. Some of the characters care more about race then others, Bev and Russ don’t, and they simply just want to move. With butting heads and tensions high about who can tell who what to do chaos breaks out over the only thing Bev and Russ care about, their son and how no one cared for him. Between the normal banter and up to the climax of disagreement and the fight the actors in these shows play their character naturally. It is easy to see each character has their own goal and opinion and these strong minded characters butt heads easily. Also each actor gave their part clear defining traits which made the characters interesting. Each character was interesting and funny in their arguments which made the play enjoyable.

The second act may have a different plot line but problems are still the same and it still centers on moving and the same Clyborne Park neighborhood. Lindsey and Steve are a lovely white family expecting a child who want to rip down the old house and re build a newer one. And what starts our as petition to stop from ripping down the historical house turns into an argument about race when Kevin and Kathy let them know that this is a black neighborhood that is upset that they are changing the house show they are unwelcoming.

This act has many comedic touches as tensions grow over race. Threw crude race jokes the two family’s try to show they are not racist and don’t get offended by jokes like those. But it is obvious that something is unsettling. Thought the topics of the jokes are serious the comedic jokes make the argument seem less intense.

Both acts are connected through little genius clues like the second act characters family trees, who the story takes place at the same time of day, and how The Raisin in the Sun story’s characters are part of this play too . This play shows how discomfort with race still occurs even in the present day. This story also holds many elements that make the plot so rich like comedy, drama, a bit of mystery and an uneasy ending that leaves readers a bit haunted and unsure of what comes next.

Director M.Bevin O’Gara adds beautiful subtle touches to the play that make the differences of the show. The choice in using the same set but just destroying it for the second act ages the house and really shows time. Also the way he leaves the end of the second act is chilling and sticks in your mind.

This entire play never gives an answer to what comes next. Each story ends without revealing how moving works out for the characters but that is not as important as the bigger goal. This show shows that no matter what time period it is no matter where race will always be the thing that ties people together and defines people and in many cases will keep people separate. We can see that problems with race still survive through time and will never go away. These storys don’t answer the question if race problems will end but instead say that change will always occur and over time things will evolve. We can only infer what the story tells us our self.

MASS MoCA, review by Kara L'Heureux

The Flight of Phoenixes

By Kara L’Heureux

Boxes tower high concealing the large hall, and what lies behind is a mystery. Slowly you enter the pathway maze of boxes and as you approach the end around the corner you can’t help but feel excitement and the suspense of what lies behind. As you turn the corner you look up and see them in all their glory. The barren factory hall is now the sky, and in the sky flies two mammoth creatures. Two phoenixes created by Xu Bing are 27 and 28 yards long. Amid flight one Phoenix follows the other; they are colossal, graceful and beautiful.

These birds are made entirely of construction site materials: hard helmets, shovels, rods, beams, wheels, and machine parts now are covered in small light blue lights. Walking from one end of the bird to the other, under and in between you see the details of every object that makes up these birds. The Phoenixes are unique but similar in most construction. No object is out of place and every attachment to the birds truly does make them look like actual creatures. Even though the birds are mechanical looking they still maintain realness in their texture and form as they fly.

This exhibit allows you to get up close to the birds and stand just beneath them. Staring up from underneath you can see a star light night sky made up of all the tiny lights places all over the bird’s wings, feathers, and body. While exploring you will also see a long counter of pictures. The pictures show the proses of creating these
 birds. Xu Bing is in many of these photos and you can see the steps he took from the very beginning of the idea to the end finished project. Captions below the pictures guide the images like a time line tell thing the story of why Xu Bing created these birds.

Like something out of a dream world these Phoenixes inspire wonder and questions about how the birds are even hung from the ceiling. You can’t help but spend a while just staring up at the Phoenixes in the sky.. Xu Bings sculptures transform the once barren hall into the sky.  You will feel small bellow but you will also feel as if you are flying along with the birds. 

Accidental Adventures with Chaplin by Kara L'Heureux

Accidental Adventures with Chaplin by Kara L'Heureux

Chaplin and his billionaire friend from City Lights

          City Lights is the story of a mischievous Little Tramp and his accidental adventures.  This funny story has moments of love between the Tramp and a blind girl, and mischief between the Tramp and his friend the Drunk Billionaire. With silly moments and little gimmicks and jokes the story is always interesting and funny in new ways each scene.

          Even at a time with sound in movie technology now available this silent movie still competes in its own unique way.  Using very few speech cards it shows emotions and tender moments easily.   It also uses sped up film, quick gags, music, and sound effects for comedic effect. This film is also never slow or dull with a quick changing plot and comedic moments filling in the gaps in the story’s plot.

          Charlie Chaplin succeeds as both an actor and director. As an actor he lives in the character creating his own walk and way of communication.  He is always in the moment of his character and every action he does is over the top and shows what kind of person the tramp is. The tramp steals every scene with his hilarious movements and his silly mistakes making the character very likeable.

         As a director Charlie accomplishes his biggest goal in making the story clear without speech.  Chaplin challenges himself and doesn’t go little with plot lines. Filming wise he films each scene in one shot making them fluid and realistic. With his wide angle filming he also tells the story from the point of view of the audience and keeps the plot the main focus instead of the individuals. The choices he makes are bold but make the story unique and entertaining. The love story between the blind girl and the little tramp shows a relationship through touch and speech but without any speaking, touch becomes the most important sense. Chaplin makes every movement between these two so clear allowing the audience to believe that they love each other even when one can’t see.

          City Lights story is not completely new but the way Chaplin reinvents it come of fresh and funny.  The story has many repeating moments like when the drunken billionaire remembers the tramp and then when he is sober and forgets the tramp. These little moments move along the story and add problem and calamity. This movie contains a little bit of everything, love, comedy and expresses it all without speech. Chaplin’s classic film competes with many movies that have sound and speaking. It has received its title as a classic for a reason and this funny movie will do much more them make viewers laugh.  

A transportation through time by Kara L'Heureux

A transportation through time by Kara L'Heureux

Isabella by Anders Zorn

To look from wall to wall gives clues and evidence of Isabella Gardener’s lifestyle and the world she lived in. The renovated house turned museum allows onlookers to step back into the past and see themselves as Isabella Gardener living in her house. From sculpture to painting each room in the house is filled with its own collection of work and it’s own little world.

The house itself is a work of art. Exploring the house through the halls and stairs you are surrounded by her collection everywhere. Carvings on walls, sculpted columns, marble stairs and rugged walls cover each floor, letting onlookers not just to look at the art but to be surrounded by it and engulfed in it as Isabella would have been when living there.

Like an Italian villa the house is built around grand sculpture garden. Each floor has window balconies on looking the garden. From each room you can stare down at the enclosed garden making it seem like the house has its own paradise of perfect weather inside.

Isabella’s collection exposes her taste in romantic and Christian art throughout time. Each room contains its own theme of style of art and each holds their own unique feel and attitude. The design of each room is impeccable, designed as if you are entering her house when she has left for just the afternoon, where every object still in place. Tables set, cupboards filled and small home touches everywhere. Her world collections make each room unique and allow visitors to explore throughout time.

Visitors will find their own favorite rooms and areas of the house easily. The gold room with it’s beautifully painted ceiling contain mostly gold furniture, it’s a room of luxury that makes any one dream of living in it. Then there is the blue room with a wide collection of watercolor and soft pastel paintings. Each painting has a touch of blue but all seem to also go together with their light coloring and soft feel and emotion. To take an even closer look into her life small counters are set in many rooms displaying her personal letters. With letters from Victor Hugo, Marie Antoinette and Anders Zorn it lets visitors wander in to her life and understand her influence just by seeing who was her friends.

Along with her the permanent collection, the new building holds the Anders Zorn collection. As a friend of Isabella who shared similar ideas and tastes in art his collection connects but is separate from the main building. His portraits of socialites, including Isabella Gardener, allow a view into Isabella’s friends and the people in her world. Zorn’s love of smooth brush stroke and etching shows trials and the small steps he took to complete his art. Accessories and jewelry on each women and man carefully detailed complete each portrait. His collection is both elegant and a bit rough through his brush strokes.

The entire museum’s collection transports visitors back in time. Like a playground going from room to room, and up and down stairs, both are entertaining and fascinating. The collection is vast and different. Unlike regular exhibits, this museum presents art in all forms and places them creatively for display. Isabella Gardener has designed her house not only as a beautiful museum but as everyone’s dream home.