Highbrow Magazine - theater https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/theater en ‘Hamilton’ World Domination Continues With Disney Plus Movie https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10720-hamilton-world-domination-continues-disney-plus-movie <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 07/03/2020 - 11:20</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1hamilton.jpg?itok=qowO0soL"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1hamilton.jpg?itok=qowO0soL" width="480" height="269" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>AT A GLANCE</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Hamilton</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Directed by: Thomas Kail</strong></p> <p><strong>Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, </strong><strong>Ren</strong><strong>ée</strong><strong> Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson</strong></p> <p><strong>Rated: PG-13</strong></p> <p><strong>Available on: Disney Plus beginning July 3</strong></p> <p><strong>Critical rating: 4 stars out of 4</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Reviewing <em>Hamilton</em> now is like deconstructing the Super Bowl the day after America watched. Everyone already knows what happened, so your job is to bring context … or at least avoid looking stupid. Here goes.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Hamilton</em>, with music, lyrics and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda, has been a smash since opening off Broadway in February 2015, and many who fancy the theater have already seen either a Broadway or touring production. Beyond that, casual fans are aware of the wildly popular “Hamilton Mixtape.”</p> <p> </p> <p>So, why talk <em>Hamilton</em> now? Because a filmed adaptation of the 2016 Broadway show is debuting on Disney Plus July 3, bringing <em>Hamilton</em> into even more lives and putting Miranda one step closer to world domination. The exquisitely shot production is about as close as one can come to a quality Broadway experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, and although not as thrilling as a live performance, it’s really great.</p> <p> </p> <p>First, the obvious: <em>Hamilton</em> is a terrific piece of musical theater. The music, heavily infused with hip hop, R&amp;B, and other pop elements is lively, unique, and beautifully rendered. Add a smart book about a largely ignored American founding father and you have the foundation for a genre-changing work.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2hamilton_0.jpg" style="height:337px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><em>Hamilton</em> isn’t a flash in the pan. People will likely be talking about this musical in theater circles for decades … not just because it’s an excellent production, but because it’s smart enough to appeal to the traditional Broadway crowd and cross over to pop music audiences who might otherwise shy from the theater. This Disney Plus run will only cement that, exposing oodles of youngsters and their families to both the show and live theater.</p> <p> </p> <p>But is <em>Hamilton</em> the movie actually theater? I think it is. This filmed version captures the Broadway cast at work in the Richard Rodgers Theatre in June 2016. It is not a single, front-to-back take. Rather, filmmakers shot a number of live performances (including one with no audience) over the course of several days. This … and six cameras shooting from varied viewpoints … allowed director/producer Thomas Kail and his editors to replicate the live experience while allowing viewers to hang on facial expressions and appreciate dance numbers in a manner that would be impossible in the theater itself.</p> <p> </p> <p>It’s a treat in large part because this is a great cast. Miranda stars as Hamilton, rapping, dancing and acting his way through one number after another, dropping a ridiculous amount of verbiage in the process. Because so much of the <em>Hamilton</em> soundtrack involves rap and hip-hop, the score is always moving, and the cast members aren’t just singing. They are spitting important exposition at a furious pace. Had Miranda simply created the show, he would have earned a place in theater history. The fact that he is so compelling in the title role is a bonus. His Hamilton is alternately ambitious, melancholy, rambunctious and wise, and it all seems a fitting tribute to a man who helped build a fledgling nation.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3hamilton.jpg" style="height:337px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Miranda is bolstered by memorable supporting turns from a host of great talents. Daveed Diggs plays Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Phillipa Soo is Eliza Hamilton. Renée Elise Goldsberry is Angelica Schuyler. Christopher Jackson portrays George Washington. Leslie Odom, Jr. plays Aaron Burr. All are tremendous.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Hamilton</em> uses what some might call colorblind casting, but it goes beyond colorblind. The show is intentionally diverse, meaning white historical figures are often portrayed by minority actors as a point of course. This is particularly poignant in the wake of the George Floyd protests. One might be able to overlook the fact that a Black man is playing Thomas Jefferson, were it not for that fact that Jefferson ran a plantation and owned slaves. That juxtaposition is jolting. It is also a powerful statement, asking viewers to think about the founding of America differently than they might have previously.  </p> <p> </p> <p>For those who have somehow missed the <em>Hamilton</em> hype, the story itself focuses on U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton, who played an outsized role in the American Revolution and economic policy in early America. As noted in the show, he is oft overlooked by pop culture, but Miranda and company have set the record straight. Today, you are far more likely to hear a teenager humming the Hamilton anthem “My Shot” than an ode to Ben Franklin, and we can thank Miranda for that.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4hamilton.jpg" style="height:337px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>This is not a simple history tale, however. Hamilton’s story is recited using music that many would find more at home on a hip-hop station than a Broadway stage. The soundtrack is a hybrid really. It’s part rap, part pop, part melodramatic theater ballads, and it blends into a wonderful, inspired mix.</p> <p> </p> <p>One should not, of course, take the history lesson too seriously. Although the broad strokes are right, Hamilton – arguably – is too sympathetic. He wasn’t a perfect man, and a number of his transgressions (although addressed) are glossed over. Also, Aaron Burr is the unquestioned villain of the story, which is equally oversimplified.</p> <p> </p> <p>That said, <em>Hamilton</em> could very well convince viewers (particularly the young) to read more about American history, leading them to a more nuanced view of the men who shaped America’s past.</p> <p> </p> <p>But to dwell on that idea is to risk a reputation for stodginess. Whether or not <em>Hamilton </em>inspires scholarship, it is still a thrilling and inspiring piece of art. And the movie version is an exceedingly nice stand in for the live production.</p> <p>                                                                                                   </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Forrest Hartman, a </em></strong><strong>Highbrow Magazine<em> contributor, is a longtime entertainment journalist who teaches in the Department of </em></strong><a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/jour/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Journalism &amp; Public Relations at California State University, Chico</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>--All images courtesy of Disney Plus.</em></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lin-manuel-miranda" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">lin-manuel miranda</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hamilton" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hamilton</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/disney-plus" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">disney plus</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/alexander-hamilton" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">alexander hamilton</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/aaron-burr" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">aaron burr</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/thomas-jefferson" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">thomas jefferson</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/founding-fathers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">founding fathers</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-mvoies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new mvoies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/theater" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">theater</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/broadway-shows" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">broadway shows</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/musicals" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">musicals</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 03 Jul 2020 15:20:08 +0000 tara 9661 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10720-hamilton-world-domination-continues-disney-plus-movie#comments New Broadway Play Looks at How Bruce Lee Changed Hollywood https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3850-new-broadway-play-looks-how-bruce-lee-changed-hollywood <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 03/25/2014 - 11:17</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1brucelee%20%28ozzy5836%29.jpg?itok=oTNHDrA_"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1brucelee%20%28ozzy5836%29.jpg?itok=oTNHDrA_" width="480" height="319" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>From <a href="http://www.pri.org/">PRI’s The World</a> and reprinted by our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/03/new-play-looks-at-how-bruce-lee-changed-hollywood.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p> </p> <p>Bruce Lee had a tough road to Hollywood stardom. And while those difficulties aren't unique, they are now the subject of a Broadway play written by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang.</p> <p> </p> <p> The stage production tells the story, complete with dramatic martial arts-style choreography, of how Lee's brash approach to martial arts and his rejection of Asia's 20th-century culture of submission made him a symbol of Asia's rise in the 21st century. The play is called "Kung Fu," and its star is Asian martial artist Cole Horibe.</p> <p> </p> <p>For Hwang, this project took a long time to bring to life. He says he first began thinking about the play in the early 1990s. "At that point, I thought of Bruce Lee as a symbol of the rise of the new China," Hwang says. "When I was a kid, China was considered poor and uneducated, and now, it's in a very different place. That was the symbolic thing I wanted to explore in the early 90s."</p> <p> </p> <p>"By the time we get to this version, which I started to write two or three years ago, I also wanted to look at Bruce Lee as a human being" says Hwang, "because I feel like he has become such a recognizable icon, but nobody really knows how he became Bruce Lee. So, in some sense, 'Kung Fu' is Bruce Lee, the prequel."</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2brucelee.jpg" style="height:383px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>In addition to China's shifting role and Lee's legacy, the play explores Asian masculinity, something Hwang says was "denigrated" in the West and in American culture. "Bruce created this new archetype — the Asian male hero," Hwang notes.</p> <p> </p> <p>"Kung Fu" also tells the life story of Lee. Hwang says he spent the last two decades reading biographies about the action hero. "I was really pleased that Linda, his widow, and Shannon, his daughter, came to our opening night and told me that they thought it was the most authentic telling of his story that they've seen," he says.</p> <p> </p> <p>"I think it was incredibly exciting — even now — to see an Asian man who is completely assertive, completely confident, completely masculine, and has no apologies or illusions about that. In a way, it's like Muhammad Ali in the ‘60s. Yes, being arrogant, but being arrogant because that was necessary in that time period and social system."</p> <p> </p> <p>Hwang had the challenge of showing the complex and tumultuous relationship Lee had with his father. The playwright says that, at a certain point, Lee's father essentially kicked Lee out of Hong Kong and told him not to come back.</p> <p> </p> <p>"And yet, his father ends up transmitting a lot of information that Bruce uses later in life to become the star that he becomes," Hwang explains. "It is a complicated relationship and I think it's true of a lot of father-son or parent-child relationships — you get the good and the bad."</p> <p> </p> <p>In the play, Hwang shows Lee with his own son, "trying to transmit both good and bad, and working through that."</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>"Kung Fu" is at the Signature Theater in New York through April 6.</em></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bruce-lee" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Bruce lee</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/broadway" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Broadway</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/broadway-show" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">broadway show</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/plays" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">plays</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/playwrights" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">playwrights</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/theater" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">theater</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/theatre" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">theatre</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-york-theatre" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new york theatre</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">T. J. Raphael</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ozzy5836 (Flickr)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:17:13 +0000 tara 4486 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3850-new-broadway-play-looks-how-bruce-lee-changed-hollywood#comments ‘Secret City’ Shines a Spotlight on New York Artists https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1818-secret-city-shines-spotlight-new-york-artists <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 15:53</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1secretcity.jpg?itok=4N0Vc7Ze"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1secretcity.jpg?itok=4N0Vc7Ze" width="480" height="322" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> Once a month, on Sunday at 11:30 a.m., art enthusiasts meet at Dixon Place on the Lower East Side in New York for an event called “Secret City.” Led by Chris Wells, the participants enjoy each other’s company, look for support, and worship art. The Secret City is very popular among its followers and has been growing ever since its establishment in 2007.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The event takes place in a theater and lasts an hour and a half. Under Wells’ direction, it features a band, singers, a mingling exercise, storytelling, and a discussion about the work of a monthly-changing artist who has been invited to speak. The audience can talk directly with the artist and hear more about his or her creative process. A recent gathering featured harpist/singer-songwriter Gillian Grassie. This award-winning young musician, who has received grants from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation and the U.S. State Department, plays a “blend of jazz-inflected indie folk/pop. While just an undergrad at Bryn Mawr, she released two albums: “To An Unwitting Muse,” in 2005 and “Serpentine,” in 2007, and has now played in many prestigious venues around the world.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2secretcity.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 600px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> In September, visual artist John Devaney showcased some of his paintings. He favors public spaces and the human form as his subject matter and captures “the endless parade of life”. Devaney is a former faculty member of The Museum of Fine Art in Boston, the Art Institute of Boston, and Carpenter Center of Harvard University. One of his commissioned murals is on display in the University of Connecticut’s Natatorium.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Secret City is a gathering of the artistic community; it offers a ritual that is supposed to balance out the fleetingness of daily life, and it doesn’t coerce you into doing or thinking something. Everyone can explore their connection to creativity in their own way. After the event, the majority of the attendees usually sticks around in the lobby for coffee, snacks, and a chat. Most of the people who frequent the Secret City work in an artistic field like acting, photography, and puppetry.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3secretcity.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 408px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> In conversations the attendees mention that they come to the Secret City to enjoy a sense of belonging. Furthermore, its function as a ritual energizes them, and the break they get from their daily struggles puts them back in touch with their creativity.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The founder of the Secret City is Chris Wells. He was born in California and his artistic development led him to work in various fields like theater, singing, and dance. The different experiences he had fostered a desire to unite different forms of art so they could benefit from each other’s strengths. But as often happens, with time, more important issues took over -- mostly those connected with figuring out how to earn a living -- and the realization of his desire had to be postponed. When he moved to New York he regained his original motivation. The need resurged for something to bring different artists together and make “the struggle [as an artist in New York] worthwhile,” according to Wells.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/5secretcity.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 600px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> Drawing from this sentiment, he conceived the Secret City in 2007. Initially it was held in a room on 14th Street with a handful of attendees, most of whom were Wells’ friends. Word got out and people became curious. Since then, it has grown tremendously and achieved its first honor in 2010 when it was awarded an Obie by the <em>Village Voice</em> under the category “Special Citation.” This past summer the Secret City achieved a second highlight when it began adding events in Los Angeles, where it was eagerly awaited and became a great success with more than a hundred attendees.<br />  </p> <p> To explain the idea behind the Secret City, Wells suggests looking at the event as performance art with an interactive component. Being more than just a matinée or a musical performance, it tries to engage the audience and trigger a thought process about creativity. Great emphasis is placed on the awareness of the isolation of artists due to the pressures they have to face in a commercial world and the creative void they risk falling into. The Secret City addresses this problem by offering attendees with artistic interests contact with artists and other like-minded individuals in an environment that is free of pressure and most importantly, spawns further creativity.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/6secretcity.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 436px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> An example of this furthering of creativity took place recently at the Secret City in Los Angeles, when an invited group of artists from “Art Division” (artdivision.org), a project that mentors young inner-city and at-risk artists, created a collaborative painting. The piece was  later donated to the space where the Secret City was held and now adorns the lobby of the Bootleg Theater.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Elements like this are what make the Secret City gatherings so special. On one hand, an individual can attend and retain something meaningful from it. On the other hand, the whole event gives something back to the community and creates artefacts that enrich people’s lives. It contrasts typical cultural events which celebrate themselves and leave the attendees alone in finding a connection and putting what they experience in a bigger context.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Enzo Scavone is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/secret-city" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">secret city</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-york" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new york</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-york-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new york artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/chris-wells" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">chris wells</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/secret-city-los-angeles" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">secret city los angeles</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dance" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dance</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/theater" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">theater</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/music" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Music</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">art</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Enzo Scavone</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:53:23 +0000 tara 1972 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1818-secret-city-shines-spotlight-new-york-artists#comments On Filming John Leguizamo: An Interview With Benjamin De Jesus https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1286-filming-john-leguizamo-interview-benjamin-de-jesus <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 16:53</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2mediumjohnLeguizamo.jpg?itok=x93CXvzX"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2mediumjohnLeguizamo.jpg?itok=x93CXvzX" width="480" height="354" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> As part of the PBS Arts Summer Festival, <strong><em>Tales From a Ghetto Klown</em></strong> documents comedian and actor John Leguizamo’s return to the stage after a nine-year hiatus and his attempts to get his show, <em>Ghetto Klown</em>, to Broadway. Filmmaker Ben De Jesus spent three years following Leguizamo from the time he started writing until the show’s Broadway debut in March 2011. De Jesus spoke with <em>Highbrow Magazine</em> by email about his experiences with Leguizamo and his making of the documentary.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>When did you first meet John Leguizamo? Have you worked with him on other projects?</strong></p> <p> I first met John when our mutual friend David Chitel [founder of the New Generation Latino Consortium] introduced us so we could work on some viral videos together. We hit it off during those small-scale shoots, which were more like informal and improv-style collaborations. A lot of brainstorming and trying things out on the fly with an outline, as opposed to a rigid script. It was a really great creative experience for the few of us involved, so John and I kept in touch and on the lookout for another project we could work on together. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>How did the documentary come about? Did John seek you out to produce it, or were you the one to approach John about the project? </strong></p> <p> I had always been a super fan of John as an actor in theatre. I had read his books when I was studying theatre at Rutgers. I had stood in line at the TKTS booth to buy half-priced tickets to <em>Freak</em> back in 1998. I even stood outside his stage door to shake John's hand. So once he mentioned that he was starting to rehearse his new one-man show, right away I asked if I could come check out a rehearsal—with my camera, of course.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But my plan was to be low-key and more of a fly on the wall. There I met Fisher [Stevens] the director and the rest of the crew including Arnold [Engelman] the producer, Aaron [Gonzalez] the designer and Micah [Frank] the über-assistant. After that first day, I saw [<em>Ghetto Klown</em>] as a fascinating story of this really small group of people led by John's creative genius who were literally taking on Broadway. It seemed like history was being made in this small rehearsal space above the Duane Reade on 50th and Broadway. So I asked John if I could hang out again the next day—with my camera, of course. That day, I came in with a treatment for the documentary and pitched John and Fish to let me hit the road with them to capture this story. Fortunately, they said yes and I got to capture this story.  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>What was it about <em>Tales from a Ghetto Klown</em> that appealed to you? Why did you get involved?</strong></p> <p> I've always loved documentaries that capture some type of mission in progress. Whether they result in a happy ending or not. So while this show was destined to make it to Broadway, there were many moments of potential failure and forces throughout that had the potential to derail the whole thing. I would be shooting behind the camera, completely engrossed in how John and the team would overcome these amazing challenges and obstacles that seemed to pop up at every corner.</p> <p>  </p> <p> So from an outsider's point of view, I had a sense that people would be interested in seeing the not-always-pretty process behind the curtain. John and Fisher especially were so invested and worked so hard to make the show better, that it was not hard to root for them. But their success was certainly not guaranteed, which made the story even more compelling to me. Plus, not a lot of people ever get to connect and collaborate with one of their genuine heroes, so I was very aware that I had landed in a good spot. Regardless, I was there to capture the story as it happened: the good, the bad and the ugly.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>You spent three years working on the documentary. How much of that was spent following John Leguizamo around, and how did that impact your other projects? Did you put everything on hold, or was there other work being completed?</strong></p> <p> I would shoot John for weeks during rehearsals, then I traveled with him to Chicago. I hung around the Broadway theatre in his dressing room just before the shows and sometimes during intermission, on and off, for the whole five-month run on Broadway.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Not all of it was just shooting all the time. Some of the best footage came when I would just be cracking wise with John about anything and everything. During those times backstage, at some point the vibe would shift and John would open up to my camera in a way that was unplanned and natural. But throughout most of the three-year process, I was also doing other projects through my production company [Diamante Pictures], including several music videos, TV specials and commercials to keep the business running. But I was there with John to capture all the major moments from pre-Broadway to opening night to the tour in Colombia.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>When setting out to make the film, did you also have a plan to distribute and show it? At what point in the process did you consider public television? How did PBS become involved?</strong></p> <p> In the beginning, things were happening so fast with the actual show that I was really focused on just capturing as much as possible as it was happening. I literally got booked to go with John to Chicago about 12 hours before my flight. Once the show opened on Broadway, I had a chance to sit back and look at what I had and thought PBS right away. So I applied for a grant with Latino Public Broadcasting and six months later they told us we won the grant. At first, it was just going to air on PBS off-prime time, but then Donald Thoms, head of Arts Programming, saw the project and decided to fast track it for the prime time PBS Arts Summer Festival. So it's been very exciting. We also have a DVD with special features being released at the same time.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong><em>Tales from a Ghetto Klown</em></strong><strong> is pursuing funding through Kickstarter. What inspired you to turn to Kickstarter for funding? What advantages, if any, does a grassroots source like Kickstarter provide an artist?</strong></p> <p> Kickstarter is like the PBS Pledge Drive for the 21st Century. Besides being a great source of funding for a project, the buzz you can build via a Kickstarter campaign is extremely valuable. I've backed projects there myself, so I believe in the model for artists in all kinds of mediums. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>You’ve done a lot of work for mun2 and SiTV, the video for Don Omar’s "Reggaeton Latino" and other projects either in Spanish or for a Latino audience. Is that a deliberate choice? How has your heritage influenced your work and your choice of film projects? How has it influenced your work on <em>Tales from a Ghetto Klown</em>?</strong>I never seek out to do Latin projects specifically, but I do tap into what I know, which is youth and mainstream urban [culture]. But ultimately, I love American pop culture, which now more than ever is all about fusion and cultures converging anyway.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>What’s next for Ben De Jesus and Diamante Pictures?</strong></p> <p> I'm looking forward to a stretch of three days off in a row. Then after that, I want to keep directing more television, before doing my first feature film. I have a script in development for a television coming-of-age series. I also want to find another project to work with John again ASAP. He's a great guy and someone who goes out of his way to open doors for people who are trying to make it happen.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Tales From a Ghetto Klown<em> airs tonight on PBS.</em></strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Nancy Lackey Shaffer is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/john-leguizamo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">John Leguizamo</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tales-ghetto-klown" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Tales From a Ghetto Klown</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pbs" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">PBS</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/benjamin-de-jesus" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Benjamin De Jesus</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/theatre" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">theatre</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/broadway" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Broadway</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/theater" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">theater</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:53:21 +0000 tara 1246 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1286-filming-john-leguizamo-interview-benjamin-de-jesus#comments