Departure Lounge: A New Musical

Energetic singing, rambunctious humor and plenty of pelvic thrusting: the new musical, Departure Lounge, fits a lot of amusement into a short time. The production follows four British friends who are waiting to board their flight home from Spain.

Jordan (played by Devin Archer) is the cute, sweet guy who is introduced as a “ladies’ man.” JB (played by Dan Beno) is the group’s leader, and a care-free jock. Pete (played by Jay W. Cullen) is the stubborn, stand-off-ish guy. And Ross (played by Erik Kaiko) is the awkward but sweet and honest character. Stuck together for an hour awaiting their delayed flight, the teenage lads begin reminiscing about their summer holiday in Spain. The boys’ memories in Spain revolve around a mutual acquaintance they met during their holiday: Sophie (played by Andrea Larson). While it begins with good-hearted fun, the story soon introduces drama, and a few secrets within the group threaten their friendship.

Departure Lounge was performed in Chicago’s Royal George Theater from October through December 2010. UK writer Dougal Irvine created the musical, and it has been previously performed in England as well as at the New York’s Summer Play Festival (as a work in progress). It was also nominated for five MTM:UK awards in 2008 at the Edinburgh Festival, winning the award for best music. Although this is not the first time the play has been performed, the show was adapted for American audiences during the Chicago performances, as Dougal Irvine explains in the playbill, “Tom Mullen and Bailiwick Chicago have helped me to develop the story and characters for an American audience, while hopefully retaining what is quintessentially an aspect of British culture.”

The Chicago production was directed by Tom Mullen, and featured musical direction by Kevin Mayes. It was performed in The Royal George’s smaller cabaret theater, and this smaller area helped retain the intimate feel of the one-act musical. There were also nice details when arriving to the theater: the “flight attendants” handing the patrons “boarding passes” (really the playbill) and directing them to seats.

The actors moved a lot around the stage, as well as interacted with the area outside the stage (such as talking to “airport security” and other people who were in the audience). Working with the small space in the cabaret theater might have been challenging, but the cast made the small area and simple props work to their advantage. They mainly interacted with the four chairs in the waiting room, and a few various trinkets they picked up in Spain. However, most of the imagery was created through the choreography, dance moves and lyrics.

There were warnings that the production contained “strong language and sexual content”—which is of course to be expected from four teenage boys. While there was a lot of crude humor and sexual references, it was never overdone to the extent of seeming disgusting. All of the boys’ lively characters were fully developed throughout the musical as each realizes that the end of this trip means their induction into adulthood and many changes in their friendship.

Departure Lounge features quite catchy pop music—the kind you’ll want to sing to yourself after the show. The tunes ranged from upbeat, silly numbers, to melancholy heartfelt ballads as the story progressed. The crazy, almost 90s boy-band type dance moves the boys performed fit well with the silly pop songs, and added a lot of fun to the musical (cheesiness and all). A live band accompanied the characters in their songs, and there was a nice effect of seeing the band behind the see-through wall (scrim) during one point of the show.

Much of the music in Departure Lounge was reminiscent of other pop music. One song that stood out was, “Why Do We Say Gay” which was an entertaining argument between the boys of whether or not to use the word “gay” to insult each other. Towards the end of the song there is a nice vocal melody developed between the four friends, which is similar in style to the “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Devin Archer’s voice really shines in this song, and the style makes their dispute that much more comic.

Departure Lounge keeps the audience amused and dancing along as the characters explain what happened on their holiday. Although the characters are somewhat crude, the audience learns to like them the monologue singing and flashbacks. The comic boy-band dance moves, crude humor and expressive singing result in an amusing show. 

Binh Danh

The Leaf Effect: Study for Metamorphosis #2, 2006, 11.5 x 9.5 x 2 inches, 

chlorophyll print, butterfly specimen and resin.

Mother and Child, 2005, 7x5 inches, chlorophyll print and resin.

Shock & Awe, 2008, 22.5x17 inches, chlorophyll print and resin.

Although Vietnamese artist Binh Danh works strictly with appropriated images, his photography remains distinctive and fascinating through his exclusive photographic technique. Danh’s work contemplates history, war and death, and he has developed a process of creating prints directly on leaves (chlorophyll prints). He places a negative on top of a live leaf and then the stack is placed in sunlight allowing the image to be developed on the leaf. Danh preserves the printed leaf in resin that develops into a nice three-dimensional display for the piece. Although Danh doesn’t take his own photographs for these projects, his unusual technique and the striking relationship between stark images of people and plant life create very poignant pieces.

Type O Negative’s October Rust

Romantic, cynical, melodic and dismal: the songs on Type O Negative’s fourth album, October Rust, range from passionate to dreary. Released in 1996, the metal band’s album includes vividly sensual songs as well as their trademark dark humor. Type O Negative began as a thrashy, harsh metal band with offensive humor. However, by October Rust they developed a smoother, gothic metal style. Although the album portrays an array of emotions, the use of melodic compositions as well as Peter Steele’s droning and uncommonly deep vocals unify this album. Despite the gloomy humor and strong bass, this album is very relaxing and romantically melancholy.

Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights

The Garden of Earthly Delights, created between 1490-1510, oil on wood.

Click for larger view.

One of the strangest paintings found in the study of art history is The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. This piece is a triptych, and from a first glance, it looks like a typical biblical painting of Adam and Eve, sin and hell. However, from closer inspection it is obvious that the painting is far more detailed and strays intensely from the normal biblical accounts. There are strange sculptures, odd hybrid creatures, nude people engaging in sexual activity, giant fruit and fantastical monsters torturing people. While this triptych has been interpreted as a warning of temptation on earth, it remains a wild fantasy enjoyable through Bosch’s imagination.

Book Illustration Websites

The internet is an excellent tool for finding inspiration through other’s work. Old book illustrations are often very detailed, beautiful and fascinating. Three of the main websites which feature older book illustrations include: Oldbookillustrations.com, Oldbookart.com and Fromoldbooks.org.

The first website, Oldbookillustrations.com, is actually well organized into galleries titled by subject matter. However, it is a rather small collection of illustrations, and the majority of the images feature the same stiff style and all are in black and white. Although this site is interesting to browse for a few minutes, for richer inspiration look elsewhere.

The next site, Oldbookart.com, features a wider selection of book titles and therefore a wide variety of detailed, full-color illustrations. However, the website itself is quite distracting, with lots of ads, and a very busy layout. Looking through the gallery, it is only possible to sort by book title, however, there are also other categories on the home page that take you to specific topics of books.

Fromoldbooks.org also holds a nice selection of images, however, the original categories are tedious to navigate. On the home page the images are organized into four categories, however these categories are a little vague and each only opens up a long list of titles—which is not very attractive. Although there are a few smaller buttons up top that allow for easier navigation—search and browse—at first these buttons aren’t noticeable. In these selections it is easier to search by topic, size, and source.

Organization really helps a website featuring artwork become successful. It is important for the images to be arranged in a meaningful manner, and categorized so it is easy to find a specific image. While each of these book illustration sites is interesting to some extent, they are either poorly organized or poorly selected. The text and navigation options on each homepage would work better if there were more hierarchy between information. Also, a more attractive and clean web design would benefit usability and also give more attention to the detailed artwork being featured.

The Event: season 1, episode 7: “I Know Who You Are”

Looking for a new TV show to cure your 24 or Lost addiction? Try The Event.

The seventh episode of NBC’s new series The Event aired on November 8^th. Created by Nick Wauters, the show’s plot revolves around the presence of a group of extra-terrestrials on earth.  This episode, “I Know Who You Are,” continues the puzzling search for the origin of these creatures while only revealing enough information to keep the audience captivated. Adding new mysteries and science fiction thrills just as fast as it reveals answers; The Event follows a plethora of plot lines and flashbacks.

The Event is a successful mixture of the action-thrill plot line of 24 and the mysterious and time-shifting Lost. In the 7^th episode more is revealed about an unknown person who is trying to keep the extraterrestrials a secret, much like the usual plot line of 24 (there is always someone else behind each terrorist attack—and Jack states “It’s not over yet!”). Also, like the characters in Lost, the extraterrestrials don’t have the resources to get back home, and the show feeds off of many flash backs in time from each character.

The different plot lines and flashbacks are a bit confusing and frankly annoying in the first few episodes, considering the backstory of the show hasn’t even yet been established. However, the thrills and cliffhangers allow the series another chance. By the seventh episode of The Event, the viewer becomes used to the format of the series (provided they’ve kept up with the show), and it is easier to understand why this format adds to the dynamic of the characters.

The flashback format of the show adds a lot to the show’s bewildering plot. It keeps the viewer engaged since he or she has to pay attention and gather the details in order to understand the story. The viewer is really piecing together the details to solve the mystery. Although the back-stories are not always completely relevant to the plot, they allow insight into the characters’ thoughts and emotions in the more certain current situations.

At times The Event is rather cheesy and unbelievable. However, this type of show is meant to shock and keep the viewer craving more ridiculous action and mystery. This isn’t a show where one can miss an episode and expect to understand what is happening.

The Event has a blog and twitter account that feature additional information about the plot. NBC is trying to create a whole culture that will try to decipher the mystery of the extraterrestrials. Will The Event be as successful as Lost or 24? It will only if it continues to offer both new information and mysteries to keep the show as shocking as the first seven episodes.

Aqua

Made from a mixture of metal, cement and glass, the new Aqua residential tower at 225 N. Columbus Drive looks refreshingly streamlined and light. While the center of the building is an average rectangular glass tower, Gang’s use of curvy balconies gives it a more sculpted, organic feel. The contrast between the opaque concrete and reflective glass also gives it highlights, depth and interest. Construction of Aqua began in 2006 and was completed in 2010. It rises 82 stories in Lakeshore East, Chicago, built by a team of architects headed by Jeanne Gang. It has been marketed as the tallest building (at a height of over 850 feet) to be completed by a team led by a woman architect.

Lakeshore east, near Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, is home to many buildings that have aquatic names including The Tides, The Shoreham and The Regatta. Aqua uses the sculptural quality of its construction to extend this theme into its appearance. The large concrete balconies on each floor form waves up and down the building’s sides. Each wave is different, and therefore each concrete section on each floor was unique. Although this made Aqua’s construction somewhat challenging because each layer had to be created independently, the finished look gives the building a nice flowing texture.

Aqua’s balconies have drawn some criticism because all units do not have equal balcony space. Because each section of concrete is unique, some decks are 12 feet outward from the rooms, while others have barely enough space to walk out on. However, while architecture’s main function is to provide an appropriate space for the people using it, uneven balconies are not enough to dismiss this building as a gimmick. Just as there are different versions of apartment space in Aqua, there are different sizes of balconies. Therefore, each resident may choose which space is best for his or her needs. While the decreased outdoor space may not please some people, others may be content paying less for that space. This also adds variety to the tower—it would be boring if all the residences were identical.

While studying the wavy decks, it is easy to forget that the residence is primarily a rectangular column of glass. The floor-to ceiling windows allow each unit to have spectacular views of the surrounding area (downtown, Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier) while also contrasting with the white decks on the outside. Aqua would be a plain glass building without its decks, but the windows also help add to the nautical texture. The contrast between white and blue pulls from visions from the sea.

Although Aqua is somewhat hidden behind neighboring towers, the different wavy textures along its exterior give quite a unique view from each direction one might glimpse it from. It is quite a nice look against a cloudy sky, since the two textures almost seem to merge. Although it is not the best in residential architecture, it is certainly more interesting than the typical residential tower with identical floors.

A Young Hare

Review #1:

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), a famous painter, printmaker and theorist during the Northern Renaissance in Germany, is known for his intricate and skilled woodcuts. His piece, A Young Hare (1502), has become one of his most well known images. 

This painting depicts a fluffy, furry rabbit posed in the center of the page. It is rendered quite realistically with special attention to detail in the fur, whiskers and features of the animal.  This piece is pleasant to look at since the rabbit is quite cute and realistic, and pops off the page.

Created with watercolor and gouache on paper, this piece is a nice example of Dürer’s technical skill. However, it is too simple a piece to be more than an exercise for the artist.  The rabbit simply sits on a blank background, and almost appears to be a diagraph for a textbook. In addition, since the rabbit floats in the center of the page, it is very calm with no movement or direction in the piece. Since Dürer has not even placed the rabbit in a setting or background, it is difficult to find much more meaning in the piece.

There is no narrative or interest to draw the viewer in further than the surface of the paper. Compared to Dürer’s other printmaking work, this piece is simply an exercise: a small sketch.

Review #2:

During the time of the Renaissance, portraits of animals were not widely accepted as high art. However, Albrecht Dürer’s painting of a rabbit goes beyond being simply a sketch. Dürer’s A Young Hare (1502) is an excellent example of the artist’s technical skill. The small painting, which was created with watercolor and gouache on paper, depicts a furry rabbit posing quietly. Dürer (1471-1528), a famous painter, printmaker and theorist during the Northern Renaissance in Germany, formed a great interest in animals throughout his life.

In this image, it is easy to see Dürer’s skill in creating a realistic representation of a creature. Not only are the proportions of the hare correct, but Dürer also used layers of watercolor and gouache to build up the depth and texture of the rabbit’s fur, resulting in a very lifelike piece. It is his attention to detail that makes the painting work well. Even of the smallest features are visible, from each strand of fur, to the whiskers and the reflection in the hare’s eye. It is genuinely nice to look at because the viewer is able to connect with the creature through Dürer’s use of realism.

The small and intimate painting (measuring only 25 cm by 23 cm) portrays a calm, natural feeling because of the warm browns and the central placement of the rabbit in the composition. Although calm, there is also life found in this portrait because Dürer has captured the moment between the rabbit posing and hopping away.

This small hare has become an iconic image from the artist for good reason. Dürer has captured the life of this animal in his painting.

Black Dogs

At 7:30pm on July 29, 1973 Richard Cole, Led Zeppelin’s manager, discovered that more than $200,000 in cash had been taken from the band’s safe deposit box. Who would attempt to steal from one of the most popular rock bands in history? In Black Dogs, Jason Buhrmester attempts to uncover the characters who might try a theft like this.

Buhrmester developed this story from real events as follows: in 1973, Led Zeppelin finished up their tour with three sold out shows at Madison Square Garden. However, $203,000 they made from the tour was stolen right before their last show—from a safe deposit box they rented at the Drake Hotel. Although the robbers and the money never turned up, Buhrmester uses this story as a backdrop for his explanation of how the money actually disappeared.

Therefore, Black Dogs is set in 1973, and is narrated by Patrick, a young guy who comes home from working in New York City to his high school (drop out) friends in Maryland. Although Patrick returns to greet his friend Alex who just got out of prison (a result from one of Patrick’s last schemes), he also decides to present the group with a plan to rob Led Zeppelin. It is easy to disapprove of the main characters when starting this book, considering that they are all criminals and seem to get themselves into the pretty dumb situations. However, the comic circumstances throughout the story quickly allow the reader to relate to the kids, and the book becomes a fun, fast read as the ridiculous scenes keep piling up.

Patrick’s friends, all thieves like him, are an unlikely group for the job. Frenchy, a spazzy guitar player; Keith, the dumb one whose only skill is stealing car radios; Alex, a recent ex-con; and Danny, an idiot scumbag; all jump on board for the job. The imperfect plan soon starts to falter as the kids get caught up with criminals worse than themselves. The reader starts to forget that the main characters are even thieves and starts to pity them. In this way it is easy to be drawn into the story further allowing the tension to build. The kids are certainly no high profile criminals, and the story is engaging because of the knowledge that the band actually is robbed. During much of the journey the reader wonders how this can possibly be pulled off. The comic situations and twists from their original plan makes for quite an entertaining read.

The premise behind this book is so epic that the explanation has to be a good read. Overall, this book was a fast read and a good combination of comedy, crime and drama. Wrapped up in a nice rock ‘n roll package with music history, lots of swearing and a great soundtrack, it is sure to be a popular read with rock fans and anyone else who wants to experience the life of a rock ‘n roll burnout in the 70s. 

The Town

Is Charlestown the bank robbery capital of the country? Although disputed by current residents, the claim makes for a good movie. Based off of the book, Prince of Thieves: A Novel, by Chuck Hogan, The Town tells the story of Charlestown—a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts—which the book and movie claim is the home to the most armored car robberies in America.

Starring Ben Affleck as Doug MacRay, the leader of a criminal group, the movie works its way through various bank robberies and car chases as expected. Early on, Doug falls for the young woman, Claire Keesey (played by Rebecca Hall), who the gang temporarily kidnaps during one of their raids. However, viewing the trailer will already tell you this—and unfortunately more of the plot.

The other members of the gang add a plethora of realistic, drama-filled characters, all of which are flawed but engaging. Although the plot was somewhat predictable at points, the characters kept it original. And while the viewer at first may question why this group is robbing banks, the film delves into their private lives giving us more understanding as to their motivations. As the movie continues, we begin to notice the regret and melancholy that Doug experiences. Along with the raw characters, the scenes weren’t dressed up and this added a sort of authenticity, most likely a result from Ben Affleck (also the director and co-writer of the film) having grown up in Massachusetts.

The stunts pulled by the gang in each subsequent raid continually get better and better, keeping the robberies interesting for both the characters and the viewer. There is also a great car chase scene on narrow streets, resulting in a much more tense and engaging action sequence than the normal high-speed chases found in usual action flicks.

While the majority of the music seemed to blend into the background, there were a few wide shots of Charlestown where the music accompanying the scene sounded reminiscent of the Dark Knight soundtrack. There was a nice feeling of dread and adventure.  Compared to other crime movies, this one appeared more realistic and quite refreshing. The characters seem real, about what to expect from bank robbers in Boston and unlike clean-cut, high-profile, classy criminals. Blending action with drama, romance, comedy and brutality, this movie provides a realistic look into the world of robberies in Charlestown.

While the majority of the movie presents genuine characters and a realistic plot, the end seems like out of a different movie entirely, and entirely cheesy. It results in quite a disappointing end to a fairly good movie. Although current residents may dispute that Charlestown is home to the most bank robberies in the country, there is history to support the ideas behind this movie. Moral of the story? Don’t start a bank in Charlestown.

Say Hello to Sunshine Album Review

Released three years after their first full-length album, Finch’s Say Hello to Sunshine establishes a harsher sound for the band. While their first album, What it is to Burn, was generally considered a pop-rock album, Say Hello to Sunshine experiments with a heavier, fierce sound.

Say Hello to Sunshine introduces more screams while still using the clean vocals present in What it is to Burn. This use of contrasting vocals also seems to accentuate contrasting moods in the songs; while some parts of the songs seem to be calm and almost uplifting, the mood quickly breaks into anger—the thrashing screams demonstrating this. This formula is fairly consistent in a majority of the songs, making this album sound quite cohesive. 

Many songs on this album seem to be highly influenced by Linkin Park, System of a Down, Korn and especially Incubus. The vocals are more developed, including new growling techniques (reminiscent of Korn) and harsher screaming. While in the previous album the screaming denoted pain, this new album deals with anger and frustration. 

Although most songs on Say Hello to Sunshine demonstrate Finch's new style, a few moments retain the feeling found in What it is to Burn. Songs like "A Piece of Mind" and "Reduced to Teeth" preserve enough of the calm and reflective feeling found in What it is to Burn, to remind the listener that this is still Finch. Overall, the music on Say Hello to Sunshine is a refreshing change from Finch's old style, and will surprise old fans with a new type of music.

(I didn't particularly enjoy the album, but this is a positive review for the assignment.)

Ecailles de Lune Album Review

Ecailles de Lune is the second full-length album from Alcest. Alcest is a project formed by multi-instrumentalist Neige, emerging from the French black metal scene. Starting out as a black metal band, they have evolved into more shoegaze, although still having some strong black metal influences. Neige cites his inspiration as being from a sort of dream land, and wants his music to be a journey into his memories for the listener.

Ecailles de Lune is a story about a man leaving one world for another. His journey takes him into the sea, as one might imagine from seeing the album’s underwater artwork. The music evokes a lot of imagery related to the sea. The first song is like a plunge into the ocean, and a lot of the sounds echo as if they are heard underwater.

Neige’s vocals on this release are very enjoyable, as there is a contrast between clean vocals and shrieks. However, although the album’s mood is wavy and beautiful, the high-pitched shrieks don’t feel a bit out of place. Neige has a unique way of making even screams sound elegant. The clean vocals as well as the guitars are immersed in reverb, invoking a spatial atmosphere.

Alcest’s work overall is very atmospheric, and the last track is my personal favorite in this way. It is melancholy, slow, and contemplative, almost like he is calling back home and no one is answering. The echoed phrases here are almost like a reverberation of the entire album’s story. Neige’s vocals on this track especially are very much integrated into the rest of the music, and are treated as another instrument. The skilled blending of the instruments creates a unified world and experience as Neige invites us to travel into his own world.