may 2020

ON Stagevolume 9 • issue 10

BRING HOME THE ARTS with the NCPA@home digital series and other cultural offerings from around the world NCPA Chairman Khushroo N. Suntook

Editorial Director Radhakrishnan Nair

Editor Snigdha Hasan

Consulting Editor Contents Vipasha Aloukik Pai Editorial Co-ordinator 08 Hilda Darukhanawalla

Art Director Tanvi Shah

Associate Art Director Hemali Limbachiya

Graphic Designers Gautami Dave Sanjana Suvarna

Advertising Anita Maria Pancras ([email protected]; 66223835) Tulsi Bavishi ([email protected]; 9833116584)

Senior Digital Manager Jayesh V. Salvi

Produced by

Editorial Office 4th Floor, Todi Building, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013

Printer Spenta Multimedia, Peninsula Spenta, Features Mathuradas Mill Compound, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400013

Materials in ON Stage cannot be 06 16 reproduced in part or whole without the Reflections Reflections on a pandemic written permission of the publisher. Views Hard Times. By Anil Dharker Renowned names from the and opinions expressed in this magazine world of Western classical are not necessarily those of the publisher. and Indian music, jazz, dance All rights reserved. 08 and theatre weigh in on what The Shows Will Go On cancelled concerts, suspended NCPA Booking Office With the world at a standstill, travel, trepidation about 2282 4567/6654 8135/6622 3724 www.ncpamumbai.com attending a concert or watching large gatherings, and the gift a play might seem like a of gestation entail for the memory from the distant past. performing arts. If you are reeling from the lack of culture, here is how you can use the internet to experience 22 the magic of the stage from the The Eternal Sound of Music safety of your home, starting In moments of social with the NCPA’s very best confinement, art, once again,

offerings. is man’s companion, like it has MANUEL HARLAN 28

been in war and peace, sickness birth anniversary of legendary and health. By Snigdha Hasan Bollywood singer Manna Dey. Vidhi Salla explores the singer’s multifaceted career and the 26 strong roots of classical music 28 The Learning Never Stops that revealed themselves in the In the absence of classroom songs he sang. lessons, the SOI Music Academy shifts gears and switches to online teaching, bringing 32 together musicians and students The Dance Renaissance under one virtual roof. In the concluding half of a two-part series, eminent public intellectual Jawhar Sircar writes a 28 sweeping history of the renewal Music First and revival of each of the eight Two stellar pianists, cognoscenti classical dance forms of India. may seldom hear under one roof, were brought together as part of the latest SOI 36 season. Vastly different in Archives: The world’s a stage their musicality, they share in In the final instalment of a common what ties together all three-part story, Vijay Tendulkar great artistes. writes about the various forms By Jehangir Batiwala of the performing arts – from experimental theatre to wrestling tournaments – that 30 not only shattered his beliefs Pandit of Playback but shaped his ideas of what is 32 SHUTTERSTOCK This month marks the 101st ‘theatrical’. EXPRESSION THE SHOWS WILL GO ON

With the world at a standstill, attending a concert or watching a play might seem like a memory from the distant past. If you are reeling from the lack of culture, here is how you can use the internet to experience the magic of the stage from the safety of your home, starting with the NCPA’s very best offerings.

8 • May 2020 NCPA COVER STORY

ust about when misplaced doubts on the Morganfield, classical dance presentations by future of the performing arts began to be Mallika Sarabhai, Aditi Mangaldas and Malavika cast in the wake of the current pandemic, Sarukkai, and more. Also on the channel are the art fraternity the world over, as if in a some dazzling performances and much-loved THE SHOWS spontaneous comeback, opened up its workshops across all genres from the ADD ART treasures in the online universe. So what Festival, which was a grand coming together of if you can’t come to the theatres, it seems world-class artistes to celebrate the golden jubilee to be telling audiences, we bring theatre to of the NCPA last year. Jyou. And how! With live-streaming and webcasting The process didn’t end at digging out these being used like never before, institutions and artistes treasures from the archives, built painstakingly over WILL GO ON are giving a new meaning to keeping the cultural decades. The videos then had to be edited to suit diet healthy in these unusual times. the needs of the online medium, which can be very The NCPA@home digital series is a step in that different from the auditorium experience, and duly direction. Curated by the genre heads and senior subtitled with commentary wherever applicable. members of the NCPA, it brings you the best of Text accompanying the videos to help viewers concerts, recitals and performances on its YouTube appreciate the nuances of the performances was channel. Through April, viewers were able to see prepared for the webcast. Subscribe to NCPA Girija Devi presenting iconic compositions of the Mumbai1 on YouTube to make sure you don’t miss Benaras gharana at the 2012 edition of Bandish, Zakir anything and take your pick from our list of online Hussain’s concerto for tabla and orchestra, Peshkar, cultural offerings from the world over. And above the Symphony Orchestra of India’s presentation everything else, stay safe and be well. of Puccini’s La bohème, full-length concerts by For more information, visit www.youtube.com/ the New York Round Midnight Orchestra and Mud TheNCPAMumbai1

WESTERN CLASSICAL MUSIC By Nikhil Sardana

For your eyes only and erudite set of presenters and all this is free to In the beginning, there was the word, and among air. The radio station has been regularly updating the many online classical music magazines that its Instagram page with information on all the major pack in some pretty wonderful words in the form classical music venues, events and concerts closed of interviews, reviews, features and profiles in the and cancelled due to Coronavirus, free streaming classical scene are Hong Kong-based Interlude, services by cultural centres of repute as well as Canada’s Schmopera and Serenade, which operates heartwarming videos of balcony performances by from India. These three platforms provide fresh musicians and healthcare workers breaking into an reading material every month at no subscription fee. aria from across the world. For more information, visit You may subscribe to their free monthly newsletter to www.classicfm.com be delivered to your inbox or bookmark the following If you are interested in podcasts, you cannot do links: better than Aria Code, which has been put together For Interlude, visit interlude.hk/sign-newsletter/ by The Metropolitan Opera, WQXR radio station and For Schmopera, visit www.schmopera.com/get- WNYC Studios. As the name suggests, they explore our-newsletter-stay-in-the-loop/ opera’s most legendary arias with commentary by a For Serenade, vist www.serenademagazine.com/ range of personalities from noted actors and writers to subscribe even scientists. Opera lovers will find new light being shed on their pet passion. For more information, visit Listening pleasure www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/aria-code Going back, not as far as the word but far back enough, By itself too, WQXR, a New York-based radio is the radio. Winning the popularity stakes here is station which offers various channels featuring Classic FM – the U.K.’s largest national commercial classical music, is worth exploring. On the WQXR radio station. It offers an almost limitless voyage of Blog, read a fascinating account of operating a radio discovery about classical composers and performers. station during COVID-19. For more information, visit Their playlist is managed by a remarkably engaging www.wqxr.org

NCPA May 2020 • 9 period of 90 days. So if you cannot make it to Salzburg or Verbier, medici. tv will bring you the next best thing. Its repertoire offers concerts, ballets, operas, documentaries, interviews, masterclasses and some intriguing behind-the-scenes clips as well. For more information, visit www.medici.tv

For extraordinary times Apart from the general, permanently available online resources mentioned here, many performing arts organisations the world over, including the NCPA, are opening up their archives to make this time a bit more bearable. Known for exceptional singers and having

The Bolshoi Theatre’s Tosca consistently engaged the most talented artistes, The Metropolitan Opera is one of the preeminent centres of opera. The Music unlimited company is currently streaming for free a different So how do you feel this morning? Upbeat, a little presentation from The Met: Live in HD series every melancholy or somewhat nostalgic? Perhaps some day on its website (with each performance available music to match your mood would be just the thing. for a period of 23 hours.) For more information, visit Primephonic and Idagio are two streaming apps www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met- that have curated music according to mood and opera-streams much more. Both, like all other major streaming When it comes to technology the Berlin services, allow you to search by composer, album Philharmonic has been a pioneer in many ways. or performer, but also go well beyond these basic Back in 2008, it started its Digital Concert Hall to options by even letting you look for such specifics broadcast concerts live on the internet by installing as catalogue number, recording label, HD cameras around the concert orchestra and conductor, year of issue platform that capture all the action on and so forth. Every possible detail that THE ROYAL stage, and allow millions of classical true classical music buffs look for is OPERA HOUSE music lovers to stream concerts live available on their search engines. The IN LONDON or on-demand. Now, in the midst apps also allow the creation of your of a lockdown, Digital Concert Hall own playlists and bookmarking of IS OFFERING has temporarily removed its paywall favourites. Primephonic’s very careful A SELECTION to provide free access to many focus on classical music taxonomy OF FREE recorded concerts and films. To makes it a listener's dream. They also BROADCASTS, register and find out more, visit www. have interesting podcasts which are digitalconcerthall.com/en/info regularly updated. For those particular MASTERCLASSES Through March and April, the Bolshoi about sound quality, streaming and AND LIVE Theatre has been streaming some of download is available in lossless format. CONTENT its most popular productions – Swan You may sign up for Primephonic’s 14- Lake, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping day free trial at play.primephonic. RELATED TO Beauty and more – on its YouTube com, while Idagio offers free and paid BOTH BALLET channel. At the time of writing this, subscriptions at www.idagio.com. In information for May was not available, its response to the pandemic, the latter AND OPERA but it might be a good idea to check has launched a free real-time video any updates on viewing opportunities series, Idagio Live, to help listeners connect directly to of works by the Bolshoi. For more information, visit their favourite musicians, ensembles and orchestras www.youtube.com/user/bolshoi every day. The Royal Opera House in London is offering a selection of free broadcasts, masterclasses and live On the watch content related to both ballet and opera. As part of An online classical music platform par excellence is its OurHouseToYourHouse series, every Friday night Medici.tv. This service for streaming classical music will see a full-length ballet or opera streaming on its videos was created in 2008 by Hervé Boissière. YouTube channel. In April, viewers were able to see The catalogue is pretty huge, with over 1600 films Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Handel’s Acis and Galatea, available by subscription. All-important music events among other productions. For more information, visit and festivals are also broadcast live for free for a www.roh.org.uk

10 • May 2020 NCPA INDIAN MUSIC Hariprasad Chaurasia talks to Arvind Parikh in a Meet the Maestro session by the NCPA

THE INTRICATE FRAMEWORK OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC, AND THE RULES THAT GO WITH IT, HAS Channelling music scenes footage and in- EVOLVED The NCPA’s YouTube channel is nothing if not a depth interviews with OVER BOTH treasure trove for lovers of Indian music. Uploads of artistes. For more performances and interviews notwithstanding, what information, visit www. TIME AND deserves a special mention is the Meet the Maestro darbarplayer.com EXPERIENCE series that has in-depth and exclusive interviews with musical stalwarts like Zakir Hussain, Ghulam Mustafa The right raga Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shiv Kumar Sharma. The intricate framework of Indian classical music, and To ensure you stay fully updated on new uploads, the rules that go with it, has evolved over both time subscribe to www.youtube.com/ TheNCPAMumbai1 and experience. To enhance your listening experience, While you are on YouTube, you might as well hop over why not listen to ragas by the time of day to which to Carnatic vocalist, writer and activist T.M. Krishna’s they are dedicated? Ragya, the first subscription- channel to explore the array of live performances, based listening service dedicated to Indian classical interviews, albums, singles and even recorded lectures music, has been created to help you do just that. The given by Krishna at the Chennai Mathematical Institute platform curates raga-based Indian classical music that explores topics like aesthetics, categorisation based on the time of day and features artistes like of ragas, swaras and gamakhas, and more. For Bhimsen Joshi, Satyasheel Deshpande and Anuradha more information, visit www.youtube.com/user/ Kuber, among others. For more information, visit TMKrishnaOffice www.ragya.com

A feast for the senses A mehfil a day Since 2006, the Darbar Music Festival has been Every evening since 20th March, Hindustani Classical providing a fantastic month-long annual showcase of Music and Everything, an online platform that Indian classical music (and now dance) on the banks promotes the musical tradition and its practitioners of the Thames in London. From Amjad Ali Khan and and raises awareness about it, has been hosting live Shiv Kumar Sharma to Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande mehfils on its Facebook page. The aim is to present and Kaushiki Chakraborty, the festival has not only performances by up-and-coming and established been as one regular called it, ‘an oasis in a desert’, Hindustani classical musicians in a baithak-like set-up. but has also been recording performances in order to The series, which now hosts up to three mehfils daily digitally engage music lovers from around the world. and has received a warm response from artistes across The Darbar Player is a subscription service (with a India and the world, opened with a recital by Gandhar 14-day free trial) that provides access to full-length Deshpande, a recipient of the Citi-NCPA Scholarship performances of the most talented Indian musicians in 2014. For more information, visit www.facebook. over the last 13 years, and exclusive behind-the- com/HCMAEOFFICIAL

NCPA May 2020 • 11 THEATRE

Marvellous theatrics of Pippin, the Broadway musical that made director Life under lockdown does not mean you have to and choreographer Bob Fosse famous, to the 1973 forego your thespian pursuits. In fact, there are film production of Tennessee Williams’sThe Glass ways to expand them because what is on offer on Menagerie starring the legendary Katharine Hepburn the Internet is not always limited by time or place. A and Sam Waterston, a subscription to BroadwayHD Digital Theatre subscription will bring the live theatre will not disappoint. For more information, visit www. experience to your screen by streaming some of broadwayhd.com the most iconic productions from around the world – from the much-acclaimed production of Arthur Closer home Miller’s All My Sons directed by Howard Davies (‘It is All through the month of April, D for Drama, a time to bring out the superlatives,’ said The Guardian Mumbai-based theatre group founded by Kumud of this production) to Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Mishra, Ghanshyam Lalsa and Saurabh Nayyar, Woods performed at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre hosted live sessions on Instagram every evening, (‘There’s more enchantment here than in a whole inviting actors, directors and playwrights to discuss bag of magic beans,’ said The Times). For more all things theatre. From conversations on youth information, visit www.digitaltheatre.com theatre movements, intersectionality of theatre BroadwayHD, a New York City-based on-demand and caste to monologue performances and reading digital streaming service, will give you access to recommendations by artistes, the sessions were Broadway classics, the most acclaimed productions much appreciated by theatre lovers. The company of Shakespeare, vintage productions, films, plans to continue and diversify the sessions in May documentaries and more. From the 1981 production and include weekly readings of plays in Hindi and

A scene from National Theatre’s Treasure Island

12 • May 2020 NCPA English, and tips shared by guests on improving oneself as an artiste, etc. For more information, visit www.instagram. com/dfordramabombay When Roshan Abbas first directed an adaptation of Jonathan Rand’s Check Please, he hadn’t quite imagined the play would lend itself to the unusual times we are living in. The result is Lockdown Love, A scene from a modern-day take on first dates, which National Theatre’s Jane Eyre was performed as a virtual play directed by Sheena Khalid in April. This month, too, the cast, including Shriya Pilgaonkar, Priyanshu June. Additionally, you can also use their on-demand Painyuli, Tanmay Dhanania, Ashwin Mushran, Kira streaming service, Globe Player, for a fee to get access Narayanan and Khalid will come together online from to over 130 Globe productions. For more information, their respective homes to present another show of the visit www.shakespearesglobe.com Geometry Encompass and Kommune production. The A special mention to the ‘first deaf launched and deaf collections from the play’s premiere went towards the led professional theatre company’ – Deafinitely Theatre Stay In A Live fund. For more information, visit www. – which produces theatre in British sign language and kommuneity.com spoken English. Every month, through June for now, Ranga Shankara, one of Bengaluru’s most well- the company is streaming one of its productions for known theatres, is now going digital with its free on its YouTube channel. Through April, we saw storytelling sessions for children. Streaming on the Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, filmed at the official YouTube channel of the theatre, the stories Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, while George Brant’s will be narrated by established artistes like Ratna war monologue Grounded will stream through May Pathak Shah, Padmavati Rao, Arundhati Nag, among and Mike Bartlett’s psychological thriller Contractions others, in multiple languages (English, Hindi, Kannada, will stream through June. For more information, visit Bengali, sign language) using props, www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk puppets or live music. For more THE National Theatre Live (NT Live) information, visit www.youtube.com/ is a ground-breaking project of the user/RangaShankaraTheatre NATIONAL National Theatre, London, that has THEATRE IN been screening the theatre’s world- Timely entertainment class productions – from the Greeks The Belrus Free Theatre is one LONDON to Shakespeare, from American and of Europe’s toughest and most HAS BEEN European classics to new writing – on unconventional theatre companies. STREAMING big screens around the world. Our Hounded by political harassment in A DIFFERENT audiences at the NCPA will have the its home country, the company went fondest memories of watching The underground, where it rehearsed PRODUCTION Lehman Trilogy and Present Laughter, in secret and performed in cafés, FROM ITS among many other productions. The basements and whatever else was theatre has been streaming a different available. Now 15 years later, its body COLLECTION production from its collection every of work, much of it rehearsed and EVERY WEEK ON week on its YouTube channel. April saw created over Skype, is testament to ITS YOUTUBE acclaimed productions including the the transformative power of both the CHANNEL James Corden starrer One Man, Two Internet and the theatre. Belarus Free Guvnors and a fantastic retelling of Theatre is streaming several of its Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. To find out productions over May and June 2020. Additionally, what is streaming in May, visit www.nationaltheatre. in its LoveOverVirus campaign, the company will be org.uk joined by celebrities like Will Attenborough, Stephen The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a New York- Fry, among others, to read extracts from their based multi-arts centre that has, for over 150 years, favourite fairy tales. For more information, visit www. provided a platform for innovative programming in belarusfreetheatre.com/15th/ theatre, film, opera, music and more. A comprehensive If Shakespeare is what floats your boat, then head selection from their archives – including a video of to Shakespeare’s Globe on YouTube, where a selection the critically acclaimed production of Man to Man, of six of their productions – including Romeo and directed by Scott Graham and Bruce Guthrie, Head Juliet (2019) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Programming (Theatre & Films) at the NCPA – is

JOHANPERSSON (TREASUREISLAND); MANUEL HARLAN (JANE EYRE) (2013) – will be streamed for free through May and available online at http://levyarchive.bam.org/

NCPA May 2020 • 13 JAZZ Your blue note fix If the music of Ray Charles and Nina Simone soothes your soul, if that of Johnny Cash and Marvin Gaye lifts your spirit, and if you have always wondered what magic Wu-Tang Clan or Carlos Santana create when they perform live, this is your chance to find out. The folks at the Montreux Jazz Festival are looking to ‘bring a little magic into your home’ by streaming for free, 50 concerts of the all-time greats. For a period of 30 days from the time you sign up with the festival’s partner Stingray Qello, get access to the unforgettable performances that the festival has come to be known for. For more information, visit www. montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/50- concerts-to-stream Since it was founded in 1987, Jazz at the Lincoln Center (JALC), through ‘performance, education and advocacy’ – words from their mission statement – has been vital in bringing jazz to the mainstream. Having suspended its concerts and Esperanza Spalding performing at the classes at this time, it has consolidated White House all its online resources, including full-length concerts (that feature the music of Chick Corea, Benny DURING Memphis and Motown Goodman, Miles Davis, among BARACK When he was President of the others), online talks for musicians United States, the multifaceted with JALC’s Managing and Artistic OBAMA’S Barack Obama once said, “You can’t Director Wynton Marsalis, and online TIME AT THE understand America without educational programmes (that WHITE HOUSE, understanding jazz and you can’t help those interested in learning understand jazz without understanding everything about America’s true art JAZZ WAS AN Dave Brubeck.” Obama then reminisced form - jazz.) For more information, INTEGRAL about how his first brush with the form visit www.jazzatlincolncenter. PART OF THE of music as a child was at a Brubeck squarespace.com concert. “And I’ve been a jazz fan ever As concerts are cancelled around ROSTER OF since,” he said. It is only fitting then that the world, San Francisco- PERFORMANCES, during his time at the White House, based SFJAZZ has introduced WHICH HAVE jazz was an integral part of the roster its subscription-based online of performances, which thankfully, have broadcast, Fridays at Five, which BEEN ARCHIVED all been archived for our collective features concerts from the viewing pleasure. To find full-length organisation’s archives. In April, we saw Zakir concerts and workshops, featuring Arturo Sandoval, Hussain perform with Dave Holland and Chris Esperanza Spalding, Stevie Wonder, and many Potter, while May has an equally interesting line-up more, visit www.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ that includes Snarky Puppy, Kamasi Washington, performances Chucho Valdés, among others. An SFJAZZ member For an exhaustive and ever-updating has said of the experience, “really immersive, list of sources from which to livestream or amazing camerawork and the sound was excellent. watch virtual concerts, please visit www.npr. I just felt like I was inside the music and really in the org/2020/03/17/816504058/a-list-of-live-virtual- hall.” For more information, visit www.sfjazz.org/ concerts-to-watch-during-the-coronavirus-

watch shutdown RON SACHS-POOL VIA GETTY IMAGES

14 • May 2020 NCPA DANCE Sandip Soparrkar Let the rhythm get you An unprecedented worldwide lockdown because of a pandemic is likely to make even the most self- assured person feel pangs of fear and anxiety. The antidote to this is to find a way to exercise at home and couple this with some well-deserved joy. Latin and ballroom dancer Sandip Soparrkar is conducting free online dance sessions that cover international forms like Merengue, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Waltz, Salsa and Tango as well as their history and evolution. Speaking to ON Stage Soparrkar said, ‘I believe that dance is a great way to stay fit, positive and stress-free during this lockdown period. It takes away your blues and is also a fantastic way to increase immunity while bonding with our loved ones.’ For more information, visit www.facebook.com/groups/ballroomstudio Combining tradition and technology, Indian classical dancer and choreographer Ananda Shankar Jayant has conceived and created Natyarambha, a Bharatanatyam app that will enable students to train at home. Additionally, for practitioners, Natyarambha’s Instagram handle has been providing daily creative prompts using the hashtag CreatePromptly (‘Recite a jathi’, ‘Space your adavus’, etc.) that hope to engage and motivate through the crowd-sourced ideas from dancers around the world. For more information on the app, visit www.natyarambha.com

Plenteous Performances UK-based choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh is known for her transformative works. Of her oeuvre The Times has said, ‘When Shobana Jeyasingh is firing on all cylinders there is hardly another UK choreographer who can touch her.’ On her YouTube channel, find short videos as well as full- length performances of works like Staging Schiele, Configurations, among others. For more information, visit www. A selection of the groundbreaking shobanajeyasingh.co.uk/works works of the Alvin Ailey American Martha Graham, the woman who LATIN AND Dance Theater are now streaming changed modern American dance BALLROOM for free on the YouTube channel of forever, choreographed over 180 DANCER SANDIP the company. Designated by a U.S. works in a long, illustrious career. The Congressional Resolution as “a vital YouTube channel of the Martha SOPARRKAR IS American cultural ambassador to the Graham Dance Company CONDUCTING world”, the company, like its founder includes short clips from the FREE ONLINE Alvin Ailey, draws inspiration from archives, featuring performances the African-American experience. by Graham herself, as well as DANCE SESSIONS For more information, visit www. other vintage clips from the THAT COVER alvinailey.org/performances- 1930s onwards. Last month, the INTERNATIONAL tickets/ailey-all-access. company premiered the full-length performance of Appalachian FORMS LIKE The links, dates and times mentioned Spring choreographed by Graham MERENGUE, in the article are subject to change. in 1944, filmed last year. To keep an CHA CHA CHA, Please refer to the official website of eye out for viewing opportunities the organisation you are interested of performances, visit www. RUMBA, AMONG in before subscribing, registering or

AK PHOTOGRAPHY - AKASH KUMBHAR marthagraham.org OTHERS sharing any personal information.

NCPA May 2020 • 15