Walter’s World: Weekend Picks Dance, Theater, Art, and Nature

By Walter Rutledge

The first weekend of fall has great events throughout the entire city. The is dance in Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan, musical theatre in Midtown and art in  a beautiful scenic of public garden in the Bronx. Here are a few of the many events happening around our city.

Germaul Barnes/Viewsic Expressions Dance and Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts will present Black Buddha. The interdisciplinary choreo-theater full evening work will be offered for two performances on Friday, September 21, and Saturday, September 22; 7:30 p.m. The Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at Long Island University’s downtown Brooklyn Center is located on Flatbush Avenue between DeKalb Avenue and Willoughby Street.

Black Buddha is the story of a young African American man’s journey in search of enlightenment. The seven-member ensemble with guest artists Nejla Yatkin and Miguel Anaya share a visually striking, and slightly surreal, environment provided by Scenic Designer Harry Feiner, lighting by Holly Ko, and videographer Whitney Hunter’s projections. This contemporary sojourn will also feature the music of Olu Dara, Koko Taylor, Etta James, Quiet Village and Tina Turner.

Tickets for Black Buddha are $22; $16.50 (students); $18 (seniors). Tickets can be purchased at the Kumble Theater boxoffice at (718) 488-1624 or online at http://www.kumbletheater.org.

There will be an exhibition reception in Glyndor Gallery on the grounds of Wave Hill public gardens and cultural center on Sunday September 23. The event will present Foregrounding the Palisades a sculptural installation by artists Isidro Blasco, Blane De St. Croix and Paula Winokur. The work was inspired by the impressive rock formations of the Hudson Palisades. From 2 to 3pm, the Robert Silverman Jazz and Blues Trio will add to the festive afternoon with an air performance in the gardens adjacent to Glyndor Gallery. At 3pm, the artists will speak about their installations.

Wave Hill is a 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. Its mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscapes, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts. The exhibition this fall is the first in a series of visual and performing arts programs that honor the preservation efforts of George W. Perkins, the former owner of Wave Hill.

Cougar The Musical, a new off-Broadway musical at the St. Luke’s Theatre (located 308 West 46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.) is a funny and very witty excursion into the world of older women and younger men featuring a quartet of seasoned Broadway professionals including Danny Bernardy, Brenda Braxton, Catherine Porter and Babs Winn. The production is a well-conceived romp by playwright, lyricist and composer Donna Moore with choreography and direction by Lynne Taylor Corbett.

The fasted paced ninety minute one-act presentation is a shear delight. The musical has an unlimited run with performances on
Wednesday and Friday at 8pm, and
Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. There is an after party following the Wednesday night shows and a special drink named the Cougartini (vodka and pomegranate juice) is served complementary. Ticket prices are $39.50, $69.50 and $89.50 and can be purchased by calling 212 239-6200 and online at telecharge.com.

Voices of Strength: Contemporary Dance & Theater by Women from Africa is a mini-festival featuring five female African choreographers at the New York Live Arts located at 219 West 19^th Street between 7^th and 8^th Avenues. The performances are sophisticated expressions of the complex lives these women live globally. Traditionally rooted dance and bold contemporary idioms tackle diverse political and social themes that articulate women’s struggles toward empowerment with humor, poignancy and courage.

The festival offers the Program B on Friday September 21 and Saturday September 22; 7:30pm. Two choreographers Maria Helena Pinto (Mozambique)
Madame Plaza with Bouchra Ouizguen (Morocco) will present works.  Sombra by Maria Helena Pinto is a stark and poignant solo that gives voice to the lives of “invisible” women who push society forward. Madame Plaza, a profoundly contemporary piece by Bouchra Ouizguen featuring three Aïta vocalists, whose traditional technique includes guttural wailing and incantation.

Tickets are $20 ($15 with code 6500) and can be purchased on line at www.newyorklivearts.org, by telephone 212-924-0077 or at the box office.

As always thank you for letting mw share my world with you.

In Photo: 1) Palisides 2) Germaul Barnes 3) Foregrounding the Palisades 4) Wave Hill  5) Babs Winn, Brenda Braxton, and Catherine Porter 6) Correspondance

Photo Credit: 1) Benjamin Swett  2) courtesy of Germaul Barnes/Viewsic Expressions Dance 3 & 4) courtesy of Wave Hill  5) BittenByAZebra  6) Eric Boudet

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