Prototype Festival to Begin New Year
New York's Most Adventuresome Program Music
By: Susan Hall - Dec 28, 2024
The Prototype Festival produced by Beth Morrison starts the avant-garde music world off from January 9 to 19. One work has been around the city in various forms for a while. Black Lodge dives into William Burroughs’ life. Queer, the film starring Daniel Craig, has brought Burroughs mainstream attention. The film with music by David T. Little, wrestles with movies as canned opera, if you will. The performances are riveting. The sets and direction are first-rate. We have the music of one of the top contemporary composers. (He’s on the Metropolitan Opera’s future roster now, but we don’t know what the work will be or when it will arrive). In the meanwhile, see Black Lodge at Prototype.
We have reviewed several Art Bath evenings in the past few years. The producers of Art Bath, who dance together at the Metropolitan Opera, are warm individuals who make inspired selections for programs that range from conventional songs accompanied by live, drawn art to wild Moroccan sintir music which inspires accompanying clapping and ululation in joy.
These sold-out evenings are presented in autumn and spring. Each season brings three programs. In the first spring program bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi sang, courtesy of the Met Opera. He showed us his comic and lyric chops in four Broadway musical songs. His texts were illuminated by John Arida at the piano. The extraordinary Michael Arthur improvised pen and ink drawing on a big screen resting beside the live artists. Mentored by Al Hirschfeld, he creates a fabulous world in an instant.
Of his work, he says, “I'm a Pen and Ink Artist. I use no pencils and no rough drafts in my work; each drawing is a live reaction to the moment.”
You have to see him create to believe what he can do as you listen to the words of Tom Jones and MIchael Stewart.
Part Two takes place in a Sunken Room where we hear Katinka Kleijn on cello inspiring two Butoh dancers on a round central stage. Vangeline and Azuni O E offer the excruciating gestures of Bhutto. Movements are gripped by the body in beautiful moments that arise from agony; The billowing white gowns of the performers soften the often harsh impact of the movements.
Art accompanies performance on the walls of the Blue House’s rooms. Perri Neri, Rob Strati and Paul Lorenz presented intriguing work.
One evening's concluding concert was in a long room where a catwalk in front of the musicians provided a very defined and brilliantly used space for dance.
Margret Glaspy accompanied herself on guitar in songs which impelled a group of Joffrey dancers. Maalen Hassam Banjaafar with Daniel Freedman on drums and Jason Lindner on keys had the audience clapping and ululating in joy. Two members of the Passion Fruit Dance Company dipped and frolicked on the room's dance catwalk.
Benjaafar sings to the accompaniment of his sintir, a three-stringed instrument covered with camel skin g that he explores in musical regions you didn't know existed.
Christopher Van Horn,the Met’s go-to bad boy, sang here. So did Benjamin Bliss.
Evenings are unexpected, surprising and intimate. There’s only one at the Prototype festival. It’s on Saturday Januay 18 at 8.
Black Lodge will be shown at the Village East (Angelika) from January 11-15.
Both productions are highly recommended.
Adventure into the others.
Tickets here.