A Week in New York

Saturday evening, April 23th. Guild Hall, East Hampton.
A benefit for The Retreat (for Domestic Violence Services). A reading of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues, starring Julie White, Blythe Danner and Brooke Shields.
You'd expect Julie to kill this and she does. Few actresses alive today can bring the smarts, heart and crazy all inside the same moment. Julie is a wonder. Blythe is Blythe and by that I mean theatrical royalty. She just says one va-jay-jay related phrase and you lose it. But the night belonged to Brooke. Beautiful and unbelievably game Brooke. She took her pieces and rope-tricked them over her head, behind her back and, yes, between her legs. A great show to benefit an important cause.

Tuesday evening, April 26th. The Tribeca Film Festival, School of Visual Arts in Chelsea.
A screening of L'Amour Fou, directed by Pierre Thorentton.
Thorentton's film covers the auction of the estate of Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, in both life and business, Pierre Berge. Ostensibly a profile of Saint Laurent's career and personal reversals, the film is fascinating also as a glimpse into a vanishing era of not only couture style, but of the feverish obsession for art and design acquisition that Berge and Saint Laurent lived in their day to day lives. A wonderful film.

Wednesday afternoon, April 27th. The Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway.
A matinee of The Motherf***er With The Hat, by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Directed by Anna Shapiro.
Bobby Cannavale, Chris Rock, Annabella Sciorra, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Yul Vazquez get to do something you don't see enough of these days. That's great acting in a new play. Go see this show. Everyone is wonderful and Elizabeth Rodriguez is a phenomenon. And it may be worth the ticket price just to hear Vazquez's character say, "Leave the gun. Take the empanada."

Wednesday evening, April 27th. Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.
The Academy of American Poets event (an evening of poetry readings).
Yours truly appeared at this event, along with a stage full of famous writers and artists to read selected pieces to a full house at Alice Tully Hall. Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Caroline Kennedy, to name a few. But when Patty Smith stepped up to the mic to read Allen Ginsberg's Footnote to Howl, she blew away everyone. Too bad the Academy doesn't post that evening online. You'll never hear that poem read better in your life. Ever. Patti was sensational.

Thursday evening, April 28th. Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.
The New York Philharmonic performs Estampes, by Debussy, Colors Of The Celestial City, by Messiaen, (both with Emanuel Ax as soloist). Also, Mahler's Fifth Symphony. Alan Gilbert conducting.
This performance was Ax's 100th with the Phil and the ever gracious and legendarily talented pianist accepted an award, onstage, from Executive Director Zarin Mehta to commemorate the occasion. Alan Gilbert showed, yet again, that as he nears the conclusion of his second season in New York, he and the musicians of the Philharmonic are giving some of the greatest symphonic concerts in the orchestra's long history.

A week in New York. And Trump was out of town.

 

Comments

[abroadabroad]

06:01 PM on 05/13/2011

Maybe, but you haven't lived until you've sat behind the Berlin Philharmonic and watched Claudio Abbado conduct. Next Wednesday is Lied von der Erde and 100 years since Mahler died. If I can get two seats on the podium, will you be my date? If not, can I be yours in Block E? I can't afford it, and I don't know anyone else who can, but I do know every nook and cranny of that building.

[Erika Rayel]

05:22 PM on 05/08/2011

Shirley MacLaine's new book "I'm over all that, and other confessions" is out. Her worldwide anecdotes are priceless. It's a wisdom-peppered reflection, and an out-of-the-box perspective on modernity. And yes, the subplot of her metaphysical quest continues to evolve. You would enjoy it.

[sugarbabygal]

04:14 PM on 05/08/2011

Vagina Monologues was a big push for the womens of the world. I guess they are trying to reump that experience for people - not a big help or hurt anywhere anymore. The interest has died - hearing women talk about their privates. There are no words to describe Julie White, Blythe is considered royalty in the theatre to only those who worked along side her during the 70's turnover in the industry. Brooke Shields is a fashion model who forgot that no one cares about what a male driven industrial nudge has to say. So, the fact that she is performing in something ultra female is entertaining enough.

[blithespirituk]

04:03 PM on 05/08/2011

How I miss Life in the Big City. I love the countryside, but it simply doesn't have the same cultural events - theatre, concerts, opera, ballet, et al. Now I'm getting homesick for London & Edinburgh, and missing Paris. BUT since it is expensive to travel there I shall have to visit NYC one of these days. Which begs the question: When are we going to see you onstage again, Mr. Baldwin? As Elyot in Private Lives perhaps? Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit? Don Pedro in Much Ado? Claudius in Hamlet? I'd love to see you as MacBeth in the scottish play!

[Dianekkdi]

07:57 AM on 05/02/2011

Hi Alec,

All sounded pretty cool. :) Chuckling about trump. When you listen to stories by the locals in Atlantic City, few to none are good. He'll disappear off the political stage soon enough. Meanwhile, comics are having a good time. Shameful part of it is his hatefulness.

Meanwhile, Go NY. :)

[ploch2800]

06:01 PM on 05/01/2011

I love NYC! Especially the arts scene. The best anywhere! Amazing performances. It's so good, it's worth riding the subway in the summer to see it. BTW, what is that weird smell the subway has in the summer? Never mind, I don't want to know.....

I really like this season of 30 Rock! Some of the funniest episodes, yet. That Kim Jung il (sp?) character is great. C'mon, Alec, you know it's a great show, don't leave. Just wouldn't be the same without Jack...

Alec, do you ever read these comments?

[nycbunny]

01:37 PM on 05/01/2011

Yeah there is no place in the world better than New York City. It's the center of the Universe.

[Erika Rayel]

06:20 PM on 04/30/2011

Wish you had endorsed Jane Fonda's "33 Variations" when it was touring. A portrayal of creative obsession -best serious theater I've seen in years. Don't know if it's back in Broadway. Maybe you could take it to London and play Beethoven yourself.

[Shimmaell]

11:39 PM on 04/29/2011

Sounds like fun. Please stop dying your hair. You look so good as a silver fox!

[ploch2800]

11:38 AM on 05/02/2011

Yeah, I agree. I like the dark gray better.

[Karen Gerasimchik]

10:09 PM on 04/29/2011

I'm Jealous! I need to move to a more cultured place than S. Florida.

[Girl Interruptd]

08:55 PM on 04/29/2011

Sounds like a great week! I wish I lived in NYC. Also, Alec, it was good to see you on Regis & Kelly yesterday. I like your beard, looks great on you. :)

[MiraMcB]

08:25 PM on 04/29/2011

Oh! Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! Would have loved the entire thing, start to finish.

I hope some kind soul from the Academy will post the readings on YT??? Please tell me they filmed it? I'm dying to see that, particularly the "Annabel Lee" reading! Someone? Please? We need culture out here in the gulags, too.

[openlens]

04:05 PM on 04/29/2011

Alan Gilbert has been AMAZING conducting the NY Phil. He has such a unique relationship with the Orchestra and it's really beautiful to watch them perform together. I have loved every concert I've attended and have now started to bring my kids to the concerts. I am so glad they have the Young Peoples Concerts, its SO important for kids to be educated in music, I love that the entire event is catered to them. The performances have really held their attention and inspired at least my son to pick up another brass along with what he already plays. I encourage the kids to be involved with the arts along with sports and going to those concerts has really sparked his interest in classical and jazz without me driving him crazy listening to it.
~ Thank you for all of your support for the arts and the Lincoln Ctr.. and please thank the NY Phil for having these programs.

Vagina Monologues was awesome when I saw it in College.. I think I would see it from a different perspective now that I have children and am in a completely different season of my life.

Lucky you... getting to attend all of these events.

[Shimmaell]

03:59 AM on 04/30/2011

That's not cool. Maybe he's having some sort of tiff with Liman. He seemed rather terse with him. Maybe he forgot about it and had to run over.

[gnorrfa]

02:55 PM on 04/29/2011

big, huge fan of alec baldwin's, one great actor and a rare one with a functioning brain and a towering intellect. this post? not for me. i want opinion, alec, not a review of your friend's shows. with respect.

[blithespirituk]

04:06 PM on 05/08/2011

With respect, this blog IS his opinion....on various shows. One cannot be forever writing about politics! There is so much more to life than that, and as a talented and respected actor I welcome Mr. Baldwin's opinions on the arts...especially since I cannot get to NYC to see them. Keep 'em coming!