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Monday, June 16, 2008

Artsy Tony Tony Tony

Posted by Patrick Coleman on Mon, Jun 16 at 10:46 AM

I think I was 30 minutes into the Tony awards when I asked myself, “Why the hell am I watching the Tony awards?” Then I remembered: before food, before booze, before writing, I was a died in the wool, 100%, grade A theater geek. In the fifth grade, I scored a role in the Grand Junction community theater’s production of the musical Working. I was hooked. At that time the movie version of A Chorus Line had just come out and my stepfather dutifully pirated it with his dual VCRs. I watched that tape until it finally broke. Of course, I had no idea what they were talking about, but I loved the music and the dancing and the emotions they could evoke. In high school, I was on track to go to a performing arts college in hopes of one day making it in New York. But things get twisted in life.

So, watching the Tony awards, my little inner theater geek rose up, still kicking. Turns out that people are continuing to make good theater on Broadway.

I have to say that the Tony awards are waaaaaaay more entertaining than the Oscars. The award show was packed with amazing performances from current Broadway runs. All the better to get you to buy a ticket, I suppose. And if I were going to buy a ticket, it would be for the show that won the Tony for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations: In the Heights.

I don’t know much about it other than it takes place in Latino dominated Washington Heights, New York, and that the music is a combination of Dominican rhythms and east coast hip-hop. Here’s last night’s performance from the cast, “96,000.”

And also, the mind blowing acceptance speech from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics for the show. I don’t think this has ever happened at the Tony awards. The dude is on point!

Pretty damn amazing.

If you want more hot Broadway action, the Tony award winning Avenue Q is in town next week, opening on the 24th. Think, Sesame Street but grounded in real life. Yes, I’m talking puppets here. Added bonus, it was written by a Portlander!

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Neil Diamond After canceling his September performance in Portland, Neil Diamond is back and ready to blow us out of our seats! Fine, maybe he won’t “blow us,” but I bet he’ll come to the stage locked and loaded with hits such as “Cherry, Cherry,” “Sweet Caroline,” and “I’m a Believer.” And does anybody remember “Heartlight”? I do! WSH Rose Garden, 1 Center Court St., $55-120, 8:00 PM Universal Blobhand with Sumi Ink Club, Josh Orion Kermiet, and ERock This month, Stumptown’s downtown location boasts an impressive roster of artists. Local artist and electronic musician ERock returns to oils for a group of enormous psychedelic paintings, while fellow Portlander Josh Orion Kermiet presents a series of intricately collaged Xeroxes and ink drawings of castles and caves. If that weren’t enough, Stumptown will also be showing work by L.A.’s Sumi Ink Club: Sarah Anderson and Luke Fischbeck, who record experimental music as Lucky Dragons. Stumptown Coffee (Downtown), 128 SW 3rd Ave., Jon Raymond: Livability Portlander Jon Raymond wrote the short stories on which the films Old Joy and the recent Michelle Williams vehicle Wendy and Lucy are based. The stories in his collection Livability are, like those films, understated and captivating, full of quiet insights. Forget Chuck Palahniuk—Raymond is the local author you should be reading. AH Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 PM

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