Nxxx,2011-06-28,C,003,Bs-BW,E1

THE NEW YORK TIMES, TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2011 N C3

JASON REDMOND/ REUTERS Arts, Briefly Compiled by Dave Itzkoff Alicia Keys to Take ‘Stick Fly’ to Broadway New York may be a concrete jungle, but the bright lights of Broadway have inspired Alicia Keys, above, to produce Lydia R. Dia- mond’s play “Stick Fly” in a new staging headed to the Lyceum Thea- ter at the end of the year. Representatives for the show said on Mon- day that Ms. Keys, the “Empire State of Mind” songstress, would present the play, which she is producing with Reuben Cannon and Nelle Nugent and which will be directed by Kenny Leon, the director of last year’s Tony Award-winning revival of “Fences.” This incarna- tion of “Stick Fly,” which chronicles the interactions and revelations within a well-to-do black family at its home in Martha’s Vineyard, will PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUILLERMO DELGADO be the Broadway debut for Ms. Diamond, whose other works include “Voyeurs de Venus,” “The Gift Horse” and “The Bluest Eye,” an adap- The Teatro Valle, which is being occupied by theater workers. The protests are also an indictment of Italy’s reduced arts financing. tation of the Toni Morrison novel. “Stick Fly” received critical praise in previous productions at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J., Arena Stage in Washington and the Huntington Theater Company in Boston. Ms. Keys said in a statement that the play “is so beautifully Outrage Over a Storied Roman Theater’s Future written and portrays black America in a way that we don’t often get to see in entertainment.” The Broadway production will begin previews By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO also struggling financially. on Nov. 18, and its opening night is scheduled for Dec. 8. ROME — Real-time drama is At a conference in Rome last taking place at the Teatro Valle, week, Culture Minister Giancarlo the storied theater here where Galan painted a bleak picture of Pirandello’s “Six Characters in the state of Italy’s arts. In 2001 Search of an Author” was first his ministry received 2.2 billion euros ($3.1 billion) a year; in 2009 performed 90 years ago. Philip Roth Gives Up Museum of Fine Arts the budget had shrunk to 1.7 bil- For nearly two weeks the lion euros. space has been occupied by a Reading Fiction Has Deal on Painting “It’s true that the ministry re- changing cast of theater workers ceives fewer funds, but let’s face Whether you’re interested in The Museum of Fine Arts, Bos- — actors, seamstresses, lighting it, a lot of money was spent badly Philip Roth’s critical exegesis of ton, said it would pay an unspeci- technicians and prop masters — fied amount to the heir of an art in the past,” Francesco Maria “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” who are protesting the privatiza- dealer who was killed at Ausch- Giro, the deputy culture minister, his contrarian take on “Free- tion of a stage once graced by dom” or just curious to know witz and will keep a 17th-century said in a telephone interview. The some of Europe’s greatest thespi- what he thinks of “The Girl With Dutch painting in its collection government, he said, would not ans, from Sarah Bernhardt to Vit- the Dragon Tattoo,” his answer is that was once owned by the deal- shrink from its support of the likely to be the same: He proba- er and likely seized by Nazis. The torio Gassman. performing arts. But in a moment bly hasn’t read them because he Boston Globe reported that after The front foyer has been com- of economic crisis, theaters as a lengthy investigation into the mandeered into an operations- is no longer reading fiction. In an The front foyer of the Teatro Valle has been turned into an oper- well as other cultural institutions interview with The Financial work, an oil portrait by the Dutch center-cum-mess hall. On a re- “must start looking for alterna- Times, Mr. Roth, the ornery au- painter Eglon van der Neer, the cent afternoon a half-dozen pro- ations center. The banner reads, in part, “How sad caution is!” tive forms of funding” and de- thor of 53 books and more than museum determined that it had testers sat hunched over comput- velop other strategies, he said. two dozen novels including belonged to Walter Westfield, ers, updating Facebook pages, ter her primary residence since it petition begins to find private Rome city officials have “Portnoy’s Complaint,” “The Hu- who had run a German gallery editing blogs and videos and was first occupied on June 14. management. pledged 1.3 million euros for the man Stain” and “Nemesis,” said shut down by the Nazis in 1936, drafting statements calling for a The occupation was inspired But the temporary reprieve coming season at the Valle and that other people’s literary inven- and who was sent to Auschwitz in cultural revolution to overturn by rumors that the Valle — has not quelled the protests, say they are willing to let the pro- tions were no longer part of his 1943. The museum, which pur- the decline of the arts in Italy. founded in 1727 and affiliated with which have ballooned into a testers have a voice in its future. diet. “I’ve stopped reading fic- chased the painting in 1941, post- The open forums, held here ev- a state organization to promote broader indictment of govern- “It’s unthinkable that we tion,” he said. “I don’t read it at ed an image of it online in 2000 ery afternoon, have drawn hun- Italian theater that was shut ment cultural policies that have would distort the theater’s lega- amid concerns about its prov- all. I read other things: history, dreds of participants — including down last year — would be priva- reduced financing for the arts, cy,” said Dino Gasperini, Rome’s enance; in 2004 it was contacted biography. I don’t have the same famous Italian actors and direc- tized, putting at risk its identity even as lawmakers praise Italy’s cultural chief. “It will remain an by Fred Westfield, a nephew of interest in fiction that I once did.” tors — and many more have been as a renowned platform for the- rich cultural patrimony as central important site of experimenta- Asked why, Mr. Roth said: “I the art dealer. Mr. Westfield is packing impromptu nightly con- atrical innovation. to the nation’s economic growth. tion and repertoire.” don’t know. I wised up.” The Fi- now a retired economics profes- certs and recitals. The Culture Ministry this (Private investment in the arts But such promises miss the nancial Times said Mr. Roth was sor in Tennessee and learned “We had to resort to an ex- month entrusted the Valle to the remains limited.) not expected to be in London on about the painting from a Google larger point, said Benedetta Cap- treme form of protest to signal Tuesday, when he will be cele- search. The Globe said that the Teatro di Roma, the city’s munici- Over the weekend, another pon, a protester. “In Italy we brated as the winner of the Man museum had in recent years re- the emergency,” said Ilenia pal theater company, which will group of protesters occupied the pass from emergency to emer- Booker International Prize, a lit- turned other works stolen during Caleo, a Roman actress and per- be responsible for the 2011-12 sea- Macro, Rome’s recently restored gency, without trying to reform erary award honoring his life- World War II. former, who has made the thea- son while an international com- contemporary-art space, which is the system,” she said. time achievements. Streisand and Bergmans, A Rapper Wraps His Mind Around Darwin Together Once Again If Terrence Malick’s majestic Barbra Streisand has had a depiction of Darwinian natural long association with Marilyn selection in “The Tree of Life” and Alan Bergman, the songwrit- ANGELA STERLING/PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET was a little too solemn and sym- ers who worked on some of her phonic for your taste, you might biggest hits, including “The Way consider the more lo- We Were,” “You Don’t Bring Me DAVID quacious hip-hop alter- Flowers” and the songs from her American Ballet Theater native of “The Rap 1983 movie “Yentl.” For her next ROONEY Guide to Evolution,” at album, “What Matters Most,” Plans November Slate the SoHo Playhouse. Ms. Streisand will be singing 10 THEATER American Ballet Theater plans REVIEW An award winner at songs by the Bergmans that she to take up residence at City Cen- the 2009 Edinburgh has not already recorded, like ter from Nov. 8 through 13 to Festival Fringe, this ever-evolv- “Nice ‘n’ Easy” (sung by Frank present a combination of new ing show is written and per- Sinatra in 1960) and “The Wind- work and revivals. The opening- formed by Baba Brinkman, an af- mills of Your Mind,” from “The night gala will kick off with a new fable white rapper from Canada Thomas Crown Affair,” which ballet choreographed by Demis with a master’s in medieval and Ms. Streisand sang at a charity Volpi, a member of the Stuttgart Renaissance English literature. dinner before the Grammy Ballet. Twyla Tharp’s “In the Up- A 90-minute interactive musi- Awards in February. The album, cal lecture with amusing visual which Ms. Streisand produced, per Room” (above, with Chalnes- sa Eames, left, and Mara Vinson aids — courtesy of the projection AUDRA MELTON will be released by Columbia designer Wendall K. Harrington Records on Aug. 23, Ms. Strei- of the Pacific Northwest Ballet) The Rap Guide to Evolution Baba Brinkman at the SoHo Playhouse. and Martha Clarke’s “Garden of — the show was developed at the sand announced on Monday. invitation of Mark Pallen, a pro- Villandry” will also be performed BEN SISARIO fessor of microbial genomics at that evening. Among the works the University of Birmingham, Stephen Sondheim sleepless audience members will get a England, after he saw Mr. Brink- nights (though pairing “huge chance to see later in the week Governors Island Show man’s “Rap Canterbury Tales.” manatee” with “humanity” has are revivals of Merce Cunning- Clearly Mr. Brinkman is not in- undeniable charm), but the From Cooper-Hewitt ham’s “Duets,” with music by timidated by challenging materi- rhythms are punchy. John Cage; Paul Taylor’s “Black al. Nor is this simply a smarty- Mr. Brinkman draws parallels The Cooper-Hewitt National Tuesday,” set to Depression-era between animal kingdom behav- Design Museum may be closing pants vehicle in which an erudite CLUE OF THE DAY music; and Ms. Tharp’s “Sinatra hipster flaunts his mad skills by ior and rap as a survivalist ex- its galleries starting Monday for Suite,” which includes songs pression of power, pride, menace a two-year renovation, but it is molding his scholarly insights sung by Frank Sinatra and cos- into “The Origin of the Species” and sexual magnetism. And as he hardly going quiet. In addition to tumes by Oscar de la Renta. wryly points out, what is the os- FAMOUSART NAMES a previously announced show to to unorthodox beats (provided PATRICIA COHEN onstage by Jamie Simmonds, the tentatious plumage of the male take place at the United Nations peacock but nature’s bling? this fall, the museum will host an DJ and music producer). Unlike more sophomoric hybridists of Tightly directed by Dodd Loo- THELASTTIME exhibition of contemporary Leadership Change mis, the production closes with a graphic design next summer on highbrow content and popular THE U. OF MICHIGAN form, Mr. Brinkman brings genu- Q&A period in which audience in- RETIRED A FOOTBALL Governors Island. “Graphic De- For History Museum put feeds some free-style adden- sign: Now in Production” is or- ine passion, curiosity and analyti- NUMBER WAS IN cal skills to his subject. da. While this stretches the per- ganized with the Walker Art Cen- Brent Glass, the director of the formance somewhat, it also 1994, IN HONOR OF ter in Minneapolis, where it will Smithsonian’s National Museum Creationists may sneer, but Mr. Brinkman mounts an argument shows that Mr. Brinkman is more THIS CENTER WHO run from Oct. 22 to Jan. 22. It is of American History, who over- than an obsessively overstimulat- scheduled to open on Governors saw a two-year renovation that against intelligent design that is GRADUATED IN 1935 both brainy and entertaining. ed Darwin fanboy with a talent Island on June 2, 2012. The previ- answered some of the criticisms for recitation. ously announced show, “Design of the museum, will retire effec- “It’s time to elevate your mind- state/And celebrate your kinship His “them = us” thread about with the Other 90%: Cities,” tive July 10. An acting director is FOR THE CORRECT with the primates,” he raps. nurturing the group above the in- opens Oct. 15 and is part of a se- to be appointed in July, and Mr. RESPONSE, WATCH Lest this sound purely science- dividual gives the show an over- ries on how design can address Glass will continue as an adviser JEOPARDY! TONIGHT geeky, the show also uses theo- arching message. “All this hippy- global issues. Both shows will be to the Smithsonian through the OR LOOK IN THIS ries of natural selection and evo- dippy, love-thy-neighbor bio-so- free. KATE TAYLOR end of the year. Mr. Glass, 64, ar- SPACE TOMORROW lutionary psychology to chart de- cialism isn’t just me editorializing IN THE TIMES. rived in 2002, shortly after a com- velopments in hip-hop: “You as a Canadian,” he says with dis- mission appointed by the Smith- could thrive like Timberlake on a arming self-mockery, going on to sonian’s Board of Regents sub- Timbaland beat/Or go extinct explain how society might be re- Yesterday’s Response: ON THE WEB mitted a stinging report on the like Vanilla Ice and ’N Sync.” configured to eliminate hostility What is Texas hold ’em? museum in which it noted a lack O.K., so the meters won’t give and fear. www.nytimes.com of “aesthetic appeal, organiza- Sure, it’s a rose-colored vision, tional coherence and the percep- “The Rap Guide to Evolution” but by the time Mr. Brinkman Critics’ Picks Video A. O. Scott tion of substantive balance.” He continues in an open-ended run at shares his “Lysistrata”-inspired Watch JEOPARDY! looks back at the 1957 film “Sweet oversaw an $85 million renova- the SoHo Playhouse, 15 Van Dam anthem of sexual selection, 7 p.m. on Channel 7 Smell of Success”: nytimes.com/ tion that created a new, light- Street, South Village; (212) 352- “Don’t Sleep With Mean People,” movies. filled atrium. KATE TAYLOR 3101, rapguidetoevolution.com. you might start singing along.