Hello Beautiful People,
The Write Teacher(s) was started for a multitude of reasons, many of which were a variety of teaching experiences. You see, I grew up around the theater. I went to my first Broadway show when I was five. I grew up listening to the soundtracks of shows, Broadway shows. Family car rides were filled with sounds of Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Flaherty, George Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, John Kander, Johnathan Larson, Cameron MacKintosh, Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, Lucy Simon, and, of course, Stephen Sondheim. And of course, that’s not even half of them. But those are the sounds of my childhood, my teenage years…the sounds that shaped my life. I have distinct memories of catching up on homework in the halls of rehearsal studios, in the backs of theaters. I know my way around a backstage better than I do driving down the Long Island Expressway. I’ve never seen Anchorman, but I know the words to Gypsy (among others) by heart…
But alas, I digress.
Photo by Megan Minutillo
The Write Teacher(s) was born out of this sheer terror that I faced when my students would start rattling off various reality television personalities, treating them as artists and as actors. Or that they’ve never heard The Sound of Music. Or West Side Story. We read a poem once, that referenced Marilyn Monroe.
They didn’t know who she was…
So, the solution against the lack of cultural substance was to put some back into the world. To put a spotlight on the work of people like Max Friedman and Charlie Rosen, two men who radiate cultural substance in every project that I’ve ever seen them do, and The Bluest Ink: A Multimedia Revue Staged in Concert at (le) poisson rouge was no exception.
The Bluest Ink, conceived and directed by Max Friedman, with musical direction and arrangements by Charlie Rosen, is a multimedia revue featuring contemporary jazz arrangements of the works of Stephen Sondheim. The show, starring the illustrious Kasie Gasparini, Will Roland, Ariella Serur, and Keith White, was fully staged with a six-piece band, and integrated throughout with animated projection design by Ilana Schwartz. “The Bluest Ink” is an exploration into Sondheim’s music and lyrics as they relate to the lives of young people, and a celebration of their intimate relationship to New York City.
It was tremendous. Tremendous. It was an attack of the senses, and I mean that in the best way possible. From the voices of Gasparini, Roland, Serur, and White, to the exquisite designs of Schwartz, to the adept staging of Friedman, to the brilliant arrangements of Rosen – it was artistic heaven. The music, the heart, the passion behind this show filled the air and transfixed the audience.
I have recently seen the work of Max Friedman at Joe’s Pub, and I am constantly amazed at his vision, for his staging and pacing of these shows is so enthralling that you forget that you’re in a cabaret. He creates concerts in such a manner so that the world fades away, and the beauty and majesty of the music completely envelop you.
The beauty and majesty of the music completely envelop you.
Music. Music. Music…I’m not quite sure what to say about Charlie Rosen. What can one say about genius? Perhaps it would suit be best to reiterate a quote that I recently read about Charlie Rosen, that he does not just play music. He does not just write music. He does not just direct music. Charlie Rosen is music. His arrangements are utterly transcendent, and The Bluest Ink was no exception.
When I meet people like Max Friedman and Charlie Rosen, I am…revived. I am rejuvenated. I am filled with a sense of hope and happiness in knowing that there are people of younger generations that are putting back the cultural substance into society. I am in awe of the vision, the talent, and perseverance to make their dreams come to fruition.
On Tuesday, (the day after the show), I tweeted that Max Friedman and Charlie Rosen are going to own Broadway one day – something I know in my bones to be true. For they have vision, dedication, passion, class, and carry themselves with an air and maturity that is way beyond their years.
In an interview with the Academy of Achievement in July of 2005, Stephen Sondheim is quotes as saying, “…the dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and the public gets used to them.” And while I’m inclined to (sometimes) agree with him, I’m also here to say that Friedman and Rosen are putting intelligence back. They are inspiring audiences. They are challenging audiences. They are looking at art and theatre with fresh eyes, and they are pushing boundaries while still maintaing a respect and admiration for those who came before them.
This is their time.
Live, Love, Learn,