Sunday, March 28, 2010

Fela!



My mom was in town for the past week, and we went to see the show Fela! on Broadway. It was phenomenal! I've never been so inspired after leaving a show. The stage, and the entire theater was turned into a spectacle in itself. The costumes, singing, acting, and the music were incredible! It didn't hurt that we were sitting front row, center. We were so close that a couple of times the dancers looked down and saw me drawing and gave me a wink.



The story is of Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musican who created the Afrobeat music style (which is impossible to not dance to!) and became a political activist of Black Power and pan-Africanism.



Fela was inspired by his mother, Kunmilayo Kuti, who was a political activist for women's rights. She was killed after the government responded violently to Fela's anti-government album when she was thrown from a second story window. The woman who played her was incredible. Her voice gave me chills every time, and when she was done with her songs I felt like passing out.



In the second act, in a religious sequence, the entire stage goes into black-light in the dark. It's beautiful. This is also where I noticed the most beautiful woman (one of the dancers). I'm sure I missed a lot of the show just watching these women dance.



Their dancing was completely mesmerizing. It's as if each section of their body was a completely different organism, but all of them were moving to the beat somehow.

Everyone, go out and see this show! You won't be disappointed!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Sledding!



This last Friday we had a blizzard, and on Saturday I went up to the MET where I saw dozens of kids and their parents sledding on the hill behind the museum. It looked like someone had tossed a bunch of Skittles onto the hill! I was a little jealous. I wish I had brought my snowpants out from Colorado.