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Are you a senior who wants to make the arts part of your life?
Cultural Connections provides seniors with opportunities to participate in the artistic and cultural life of the city by offering a diverse program of collective experiences throughout the year. Events include Classical Music, Broadway/Off Broadway Plays and Musicals, Jazz and Museum Tours – the backbone of traditional American culture. We continue to expand our offerings at Lincoln Center and have included programs at Avery Fisher Hall, the Ballet and Opera. Our cultural events are specifically designed for our participants and anyone over 60 is welcome to join us. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM – KANDINSKY RETROSPECTIVE Once again, Art Historian – Catherine Lawrence took great care as she guided her audience through this MEET THE ARTIST AT LINCOLN CENTER
MERKIN CONCERT HALL – TUESDAY MATINEES
WHITNEY MUSEUM – GEORGIA O”KEEFFE – ABSTRACTIONS Art Historian, Catherine Lawrence guided us through more than 130 paintings, drawings,
LUCILLE LAURTEL THEATER – SO HELP ME GOD!
NEW YORK CITY OPERA
CARNEGIE HALL – THE NEW YORK POPS
NEW YORK CITY CENTER ENCORS! – SEMINAR & DRESS REHEARSAL Our seminar was moderated by Larry Maslon, co-author of the PBS series “Broadway: The American MEET THE ARTIST AT LINCOLN CENTER
Our instructor, Johanna Bauman Ph.D., began the journey in 16th century Renaissance Italy where the CULINARY INSTITUTE LUNCHEON AND FDR HOME TOUR
NEW YORK CITY OPERA – ESTHER With this bold revival of Hugo Weisgall’s “Esther,” the company’s new director, George Steel, remains HARKNESS HOUSE MANSION
MEET THE ARTIST AT LINCOLN CENTER - AN AFTERNOON OF SONG WITH
SUPERIOR DONUTS – MUSIC BOX THEATER
This Broadway production, which we saw in preview, benefits from having almost the entire Steppenwolf cast, whose years of working together give them an intuitive rapport on stage. The comedy-drama, set in the heart of one of Chicago’s most diverse communities, explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Arthur, played convincingly by Michael McKean, owns a time-worn donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, played with spunk and heart by Jon Michael Hill, is a black teenager who wants to bring the shop –and its owner-into the present. Other characters who add to the culture clash are: Officer Randy Osteen, the neighborhood cop who eventually dates Arthur with the help of Franco, Lady Boyle, the local bag lady who stops in for coffee,and Max, the owner of the video store, who hopes to convince Arthur to sell the shop to him. Mr. Letts’s love letter to Chicago was warmly received by the enthusiastic audience at this preview.
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| © 2007 The Carter Burden Center, 1484 1st Ave, New York, NY, 10075 (212) 879-7400 info@burdencntr.org |
retrospective of Kandinsky’s work from 1907 to 1942. We began with Motley Life, Kandinsky’s nostalgic view of Russia and ended in Paris with his joyous response to war. This pioneer of abstract painting and noted aesthetic theorist represents the core and essence of the permanent collection at the Guggenheim. Ms Lawrence focused on the core events that shaped his life. Early on, Kandinsky identified three basic types of painting designated by titles associated with music: Impressions, based on real life subjects; Improvisations, spontaneous and unconscious images from the artists inner life; and Compositions, formally developed formats, often preceded by a series of studies. We explored each type beginning with Improvisation 21 which has been interpreted as Kandinsky’s apocalyptic vision which transitions from demise 
to renewal. He gradually left the figurative behind and his Black Arch canvases are devoid of representative imagery. Kandinsky ended a highly creative period when he was forced to leave Germany in 1914. When he returned after the war he connected with Paul Klee, was influenced by the Bauhaus movement and explored compositions based on geometry as in Composition 8. At the end of our journey we find Kandinsky in Paris. He responds to the war by becoming more joyful with a softer palate and a biomorphic focus, where his canvases resembled wallpaper in a child’s room. He will be remembered for his pioneering aesthetic innovations. Kudos to our Art Historian for shining an informative light on Kandinsky’s prolific works. 
Legendary jazz trombonist and Duke Ellington 
Band alumnus Art Baron opened the program with the Duke’s “C Jam Blues” and was accompanied by very smooth sounding piano and saxophone. Other notable pieces included: “Take the A Train,” 
This was an incredibly versatile program with absolutely no polkas. Ms. Kaminska was very successful at presenting a different genera of music. She opened with Bach’s spirited and dramatic Toccata and Fugue with its intricate counterpoint and followed with Scarlatti’s Sonatas. Both Baroque pieces were played with clarity and vigor and reminded the audience how much the accordion is similar to the organ. We heard two contemporary pieces by Zolotariev which were written for the accordion. They were improvisational, dramatic and captured the Russian soul. In the Toccata by Khachaturian, Ms. Kaminska captured the sound of the organ once again with this exciting piece. After the performance, this talented and engaging musician made herself available for questions from the audience. 
watercolors and sculptures as she discussed the evolution of O’Keeffe’s abstract works from the time she studied with Dow on balance and harmony in her canvases to her last work, My Last Door, which signified entry into another place. O’Keeffe had the gift of taking ordinary objects and magnifying them to make us look. Ms. Lawrence clarified that O’Keeffe’s White, White Rose and Pink Tulip were microscopic views of flowers not sexual as noted in the press. Her Clams were, again, magnifications of something spiritual and sacred. She was close to the land, loved the landscapes in New Mexico and was influenced by the Hudson River School. We also enjoyed the famous photographic portrait series of O’Keeffe by Stieglitzs, her husband and learned a great deal about their stormy relationship. As always, this was an illuminating tour. 
This back stage, bitter sweet farce about putting on a show is reminiscent of “42nd Street” and “All About Eve.” We have the narcissistic, back stabbing diva, played with relish by Kristen Johnston and the naïve 
ingénue who longs to supplant her, played by a very earnest Anna Clumsky. There are a host of characters ranging from gruff stage manager, ego driven actors, glad handing but ruthless producer and all are played with unforced credibility. Only Ms. Johnston goes over the top as this gorgeous star not unlike Margo Channing and Norma Desmond. In this biting satire, playwright, Maurine Watkins has given us a Broadway where commerce always trumps art and stars get away with anything. Thanks to Jonathan Banks, Artistic Director of the Mint Theater, for polishing up another gem. 
In this comeback season for New York City Opera, director Christopher Alden
places the story in an ambiguous setting of grays and whites that could be a rectory, courtroom or Purgatory. In this brave and spirited production the musically assured ensemble has taken on aspects of physical comedy with much stumbling, embracing and groping. Daniel Okulitch sings Giovanni with a rich bass-baritone and at the same time brings a dark, brooding quality to the character. Dressed in an elegant three piece suit, he conveys aristocracy. Jason 
Hardy pits his fine voice against Leporello’s bumbling. Keri Alkema takes stage as the obsessive Donna Elvira and soprano Stefania Dovhan sings Donna Anna as a complicated woman driven by outrage and a fascination with the erotic. The soprano Joelle Harvey, as Zerlina and the baritone Kelly Markgraf, as Masello made a convincing couple. There was no fire and brimstone at the finish. The Commendatore appears not as a statue but as a corpse singing from an open casket at a funeral service. Giovanni is directed by a little boy into the casket. What a brave, surprising and spirited production. Welcome back! 
Singer Ann Hampton Callaway brought us to our feet at Carnegie Hall, where the New York Pops orchestra celebrated the centennial of songwriter Johnny Mercer. Her interpretation of the lusty “Blues In the Night” showed us her range as well as her technical resources. On the softer side, Ms Callaway’s delivery of the poetic meditation by Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael was splendid. Among the instrumentals of note was the wistful “Emily” from the movie “The Americanization of Emily” from the 1960’s. Other guests included Michael Feinstein making a surprise appearance with “Something’s Gotta Give” Crossover artist N’Kenge gave us “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “Autumn Leaves. Song and dance man James T. Lane gave us “One for My Baby” and “Hooray for Hollywood” The show closed with Camp Broadway Kids, a 100 voice children’s chorus dressed in rainbow colors. A truly delightful evening at Carnegie Hall.
Musical.” His guest was Will Friedwald, noted author and expert on jazz and performance. Together, they focused on the Gershwins’ score as a major transitional piece between the Jazz Age and Swing Era. They shared some wonderful footage of the opening night performance with Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers. We also heard a recording of the Orchestra playing “I Got Rhythm” with Dorsey, Goodman and Miller. The stage was set for this pre-dramaturgy romantic romp which is all about the music. The story follows the brash New York rich boy Danny (Chris Diamantopoulos) whose father has sent him to a cow town in Arizona to cure him of his expensive taste in showgirls. He gets there by cab driven by Gieber Goldfarb (Wayne Knight) who quickly gets lassoed into running for sheriff. In the first act the bickering lovebirds Danny and Molly (Becki Newton) have two notable duets – “Could You Use Me” and “Embraceable You” – which they carry convincingly. Ana Gasteyer as Frisco Kate arrives at the 49’er Saloon looking for work and gives us “I Got Rhythm” with its famous sustained notes reminiscent of Merman. Another duet worth mentioning in the second act is “But Not for Me” sung by Becki Newton with Wayne Knight who has a wonderful sense of comic timing as the cowardly cabby. And then there was the easy swing of “Bidin’ My Time” sung by four harmonizing cowboys which opened and closed the show at Danny’s Dude Ranch.
We spent a joyful afternoon in the Kaplan Penthouse listening to the innovative sounds of this jazz ensemble. They got our attention with Grave Merchant and then Sherrie Maricle gave us a brief history of the group’s development. We heard Janelle Reichman on clarinet with her subtle interpretation of Benny Goodman’s Slipped Disk. Next it was Jami Dauber on trumpet with Moon Song. Jamie and Janelle came together with Torch Song and Cry Me A River. We heard a very spirited interpretation of If I Only Had a Brain by Tomoko Ohno on Piano and Noriko Ueda on bass before intermission. During our Q & A session we learned about each musicians classical background as well as their professional careers as attorney, composer and Ph. D. Five Play closed the program with a rousing I Want To Be Happy. They brought us the best of the Big Band sound and Swing with versatile programming and creative arrangements. Thank you Five Play! 
focus was on the classical past. We visited the Villas of Pliny where the focus was on bringing the outside in and the balance of work and recreation. We moved on to Florence and the Medici Villas in Florence – one simple in design and another in the center of a working farm which was much more grand. The play between art and nature was captured at the Villa d’ Este with its Tivoli Garden filled with sculpture and fountains. We enjoyed a tour of 18th century English Gardens where the focus was on space and freedom with the liberty to choose from among various paths and views according to mood. It was a time when the simplicity of unadorned nature was highly regarded. 
Our journey ended in 19th century America where we explored the Country Place Tradition where house and garden had to be integrated. We looked at the stunning landscape in Greenwood Cemetery and explored Olmsted’s innovative design of Central Park with its transverse roads and reservoir. His guiding principle was that the park should be a place where one could have a personal experience with nature – retreat into nature to be refreshed. We also explored Faulkner Farm where there was a new interest in form and classical design as well as The Mount which was designed on Italian principles of integration. Thank you ICA for a very informative lecture series. 
We arrived at Hyde Park just in time for lunch at the Culinary Institute of America. After a warm welcome from staff at St. Andrews Café we enjoyed Roast Baby Beet Salad and roast Pork Loin or Grilled Salmon followed by Mixed Berry Cobbler with Homemade Gelato. Then we went on to the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt where we enjoyed a private tour by our knowledgeable docent. Among the many items of interest were; his boyhood collection of stuffed birds, the casual living room with its stamp collection and ship models, the bedroom Roosevelt used as an adult with beautiful views of the Hudson River and the wonderful cutting garden with fragrant roses still in bloom. At the FDR Library we were able to view some of
FDR’s books and his extensive collection of naval prints, paintings and models. The gallery devoted to the life of Eleanor Roosevelt was fascinating. It holds large collections of manuscripts, photos, recordings and films. A truly wonderful day in Hyde Park – rich in cuisine as well as history. 
true to its mission to showcase modern American Opera. “Esther” is based on the biblical story of the Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from annihilation. A beautiful 
young maiden, the niece of a court clerk, Mordecai, is summoned to the king’s harem and Xerxes is immediately taken with her. The kings minister, Haman, plans to exterminate the kingdom’s Jewish population. When Mordecai asks her to intervene she divulges at a royal banquet that she is a Jew. Weisgall’s ambitious atonal music is challenging for the audience as well as the performers and the competent cast helps put this uncompromising and intense work across. Lauren Flaigan, as Esther, gives a convincing performance showing a strong voice filled with passion and sincerity. Other notables are Beth Clayton as Vashti, Xerxes’ banished wife, Roy Cornelius Smit as Hame, Jam es Maddalena as Mordecai and Stephen Kechulius as Xerxes. NYC Opera is back in a handsome new auditorium with an enlarged orchestra pit, comfortable seats and the much anticipated additional aisles. We look forward to Don Giovanni and the Big Band Social on November 22nd.
Guests gathered beyond the entrance hall in the reception room as our knowledgeable docent shared the story of the Harkness House and a time of gracious living in a city that was just entering the 21st century. The tone of the room was French with walnut paneling on the walls and a ceiling painted in the chinoiserie style. Next, the group proceeded across the entrance hall to the dining room. The ceiling in this room was inspired by Venetian/Renaissance precedent with gilded rosettes of plaster of paris. The windows, which were leaded glass, depicted classical women with the themes ‘abundance of the sea and earth.’ The room still contains the original dining table as well as portraits of family members. The main staircase, which took us to the second floor, was made of Cassis marble with a continuous balustrade of cast bronze. The three public rooms on this level were larger in scale and included a long central gallery, perhaps the most beautiful room in the house. The ceiling in the gallery was painted with a mix of Greek and Pompeiian images 
in soft red, green and blue on a tan background. Then we moved into the rosewood paneled library and the ornate music room with four chandeliers and elaborate woodwork. Some guests took the steep stone stairs to see what kitchens were like at the turn of the century. Our tour of the Harkness House was truly a walk back in history to a time of quiet elegance in the city.
Our journey began with Jung at his Bollinger Tower retreat in Switzerland where he stressed the importance of imagery and shared his development of the Mandela stone which he sculpted. During our post-screening discussion we shared our observations and feelings which we took away from this documentary. In our second screening Sir Laurens van der Post shared his personal experiences with Jung and his wife and Jung’s discoveries on the feminine aspects of all humans. A lively discussion followed with much commentary from the audience as to what brought the nation to the war with Iran. Our series closed with an interview with Gerhard Adler, one of Jung’s most prominent disciples, who shared his personal learnings from Jung as well as the public misconception of Jung’s anti-Semitism. This series was inspired by Jung’s Red Book in which her developed his principal theories of archetypes, collective unconscious and the process of individuation. More than two thirds of the manuscript is filled with Jung’s brightly hued and striking graphic forms. This was indeed a remarkable series with a fascinating exhibit. 
This versatile songstress delighted her audience with a medley of Show Tunes ranging from “Show Boat” to “Chicago.” We heard Bill which was followed by I’m As Corney As Kansas In August from “South Pacific,” and then I Loved You Once In Silence from “Camelot.” Ms. Hansen made her Broadway in The Boys From Syracuse and gave us This Can’t Be Love from that show. She is truly a Crossover Artist and is just as comfortable with vampy tunes from “Chicago” and selections from Puccini. After intermission we heard delightful stories of her national tours in “The Music Man” as well as “Camelot” with Robert Goulet and then there was the audition for Harold Prince. Teri Hansen is an engaging actress who knows how to capture an audience. She closed the program with I Could Have Danced All Night from “My Fair Lady” and we reluctantly said our goodbyes. 
This was truly a remarkable performance by a gifted pianist with brilliant technique and passion for her art. It was evidenced in the versatility of her program. She opened with the melodic Musical Offering by J.S. Bach with its six-voice fugues and grand finish.. This was followed by Busoni’s transcription for 
piano of Bach’s Chorale Prelude which was romantic in style with a dark opening. Another transcription by Busoni followed – Chaconne in D by Bach. In this dramatic piece we hear variations in tempo and the sounds of organ, violin and choir. Next we heard Busoni’s transcription of Chopin’s Prelude in C. Although the piece was influenced by List, the syncopation was reminiscent of Scott Joplin. After intermission we had the pleasure of listening to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet which was both colorful and timeless given the pianists spirited interpretation. The most familiar selections were: Arrival of the Guests, Masks, and The Montagues and the Capulets. The piece closed with the Farewell which wavers painfully between infinite hope and sadness. Not surprisingly, there were two encores where we heard Joplin and a piano piece for one hand. Another thrilling afternoon at Merkin Concert Hall! 
