An Awful lot of Vaudeville is not a tacky reproduction of a bygone era. Instead, it is a contemporary tribute to what was – and in many ways remains – an avant-garde period of pushing boundaries and crossing lines. Mojo Jujus romantic attachment to the dark, underground world of sleazy jazz clubs and flapper girls enables her to capture the essence of the 1920s while evolving the art form to fit the 21st century.
New blog at ArtsJournal.com. Considering the state of theater in Scranton today, I think it’s safe to say we need all the ideas we can get. And then, of course, guts and energy to implement a few. Let’s go. Failure or not, here we come! -ag
To engage successfully, arts organizations need to make authentic, substantive connections with their communities. Those communities should not be seen as a collection of market segments to be tapped in an effort to sell tickets or extend reach; they should be seen as indispensable partners in improving lives. It is the creation and support of healthy, vital communities that provide the ultimate justification for the allocation of financial and human resources that the arts require. Communities do not exist to serve the arts; the arts exist to serve communities.
Hmmm… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman ventriloquist before.
The one of the evangilists gets my vote for creepiest.
-ag
Recommended by Boing Boing.
Vaudeville Ventriloquist Dummy Portraits
via Vaudeville Ventriloquist Dummy Portraits | PUBLIC SCHOOL.
Not only are they doing a Shakespeare work I haven’t ever seen before, it’s been staged in a style they’re calling ‘dark vaudeville.” OMG. Who’s going with me? We’ve got until July 24.
-ag
There is something about a tall man with hairy legs, in a black dress, and singing French love songs that captures the beautiful contradiction of Edith Piaf’s life and music.
Jack Garton of the Vancouver “vaudeville-inspired” band Maria in the Shower acknowledges his interest in pre-mass media, pre-electronic entertainment and a magic transportative quality unique to live experience, as discussed in my 2009 presentation: NeoVaudeville in the 21st Century: Exploring the Revival of Burlesque, Sideshow & Cabaret in Popular Performance. (http://subverseaphrodesia.com/NeoVaudeville.aspx)
-ag
Introduction of new technology — radio, television and film — has had a dramatic impact on the way artists entertain, he says. “The technology made the art forms fragment into their own little pockets and Id like to sort of bring it back to the time before that, when before those technological innovations we had the live experience and that was it,” he says. “For our shows, people can go back to that space.”
I’d love to see this show, even if it’s not as successful as it could (should) be. -ag
“The project takes a Biblical seven years and visits to seven metropolises, during which the white-souled Anna repeatedly fails as a dancer (indeed, an artist of any kind) and is forced to eke out the required funds as a prostitute. Miraculously, she retains her guilelessness, though the degradation finally kills her.”
via Sloth, Pride, Anger, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, and Envy (once again) – Seeing Things.
“Breakthrough, the global human rights organization behind America 2049, has been integrating social justice with pop culture since their inception, when they created a hit Indian music single about domestic violence. Since then, they’ve made the Ring the Bell (calling on men and boys to stop violence against women) and ICED (the first 3D social justice-based video game). “Our philosophy is that we want to bring human rights issues to where people are at,” says founder and president Mallika Dett. And Facebook, for better or for worse, is where 500 million active users are at right now.”
via Brave New Virtual World: The Women Behind America 2049 | Bitch Media.
A song called Kalimayantra appeared today on my Visions of Zen radio station on Pandora …
“In hands upon black earth, composer and performer bobby cochran has created a collection of songs as diverse as they are connected, eluding simple categorization. Tying the project together is an occult pattern of will, desire and worship, driven by a sincere passion, fueled by a persistent discontent with his own limitations.
Sensual and pensive. Meditative and exultant. Flowing, languorous beats with a hard and unrestrained backbone. Inspired words. Pain and passion. Desire and expectation. A union of love and will.”
via hands upon black earth: solid, sensual, organic, languorous electronic music.
building positive culture for community progress
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The Overlooked Community of Scranton, Pennsylvania
Curated by upper level Dramaturgy & Literature students of the BU School of Theatre
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Women's Studies & Feminist Research and English Studies, Western University
The good, the bad, and the stupid in manga/anime, movies, books, and more from the view of a feminist
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Do you walk to school, or do you carry your lunch?
Kindness Changes Everything
This is the blog of Kal Spelletich. CONTACT: Spellkal (at) gmail.com + Art, technology, humans and robots, and, well, the journey http://www.kaltek.org/
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