Category: Manhattan

Manhattan Moments: Stage, Page & Plate

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Gripping Theater

King Lear with Glenda Jackson and Ruth Wilson

(independent.co.uk)

We saw Glenda Jackson last spring in Three Tall Women and were keen to see her again, this time as the irascible domineering king.  Sam Gold’s production is not a traditional one and there is nothing staid about it.  With modern day costumes and guns instead of swords, it plays with time and makes graphic, couplings and other stage business that are more implied than acted out in other versions.  From beginning to end, it is gripping and at points even glorious.  

First off, Jackson is superb; androgynous in appearance, she is the king:  entitled, dictatorial, and expecting obedience. Ruth Wilson is the gentle, but rebellious Cordelia, who also excels as the Fool. With a Cockney accent and the right combo of jokes and wisdom, the Fool flatters, cajoles and soothes Lear.  Another noteworthy performance is Jayne Houdyshell’s Earl of Gloucester, the loyal retainer who is yet duped by one of his sons.  I also particularly enjoyed the warmth and dedication of the Earl of Kent, as played by John Douglas Thompson.

This is a very busy stage, and some reviewers found it a bit much.  I have to agree that the string quartet sometimes masked the dialogue in a way that was distracting.  The very diverse cast also included one deaf actor, Russell Harvard as the Duke of Cornwall, who was signed to by an aide throughout the entire play.  Apparently, having a diverse cast (this one had racial and gender diversity for sure) is one of Gold’s hallmarks.  My quibbles are minor ones and this, for me, was a wonderful experience and a most memorable Lear! (~JWFarrington)

Engrossing Mystery

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

Author Winspear turns out one Maisie Dobbs a year and this is her latest.  Set in London during the Blitz (late 1940 into 1941), it’s engrossing and I read it in little more than a day.  The murder here, and there is generally only one, is that of a talented young news reporter, Catherine Saxon, who’s been noticed by Edward R. Murrow and hopeful of the chance to join his team.  

(amazon com)

Catherine lives in a rooming house run by an older widow and, while extremely dedicated to her work, is attractive and attractive to a variety of young men.  Maisie is assigned to the case, but requested to work along with Mark Scott, an American diplomat, whose involvement is ostensibly because Saxon’s father is a U.S. senator.  

These mysteries are largely procedurals with lots of interviews and following up on leads, but this one weaves in accounts of the devastation of the nighttime bombing (Maisie and her friend Pris are volunteer ambulance drivers); Maisie’s progress toward adopting Anna, her child evacuee; and also Maisie’s developing relationship with Mr. Scott who appeared in an earlier novel. Lots of richness of character here and a mystery with some suitable twists and surprises.  It’s one of my favorites among the most recent entries in this ongoing series!  (~JWFarrington) 

Turkish Fare: Beyoglu

Beyoglu (pinterest.com)

This Upper East Side restaurant was a perfect venue for a family lunch that included our granddaughters.  We had a large table in a corner and our meze platter was quickly ordered and promptly delivered. The combination of yogurt, hummus, sautéed spinach, and other spreads was great with the puffy bread rounds and kept the two little girls occupied until the rest of the meal arrived.  We sampled the shrimp appetizer, tomato and cucumber salad, sausages and potatoes, grilled chicken over shredded carrots and other veggies, and the very tender doner lamb.  All scrumptious and something for everyone’s taste!

Note: Header photo of Manhattan architecture by JWFarrington. Credits noted for all other photos.

Manhattan: The Jewish Museum

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COHEN AND THE JEWISH MUSEUM

The unseasonably cold weather and days of rain have kept us inside and a bit lazy.  More time for reading and the occasional museum.  Last week we paid a visit to the Jewish Museum especially for the Leonard Cohen exhibit,  “A Crack in Everything,” which an acquaintance recommended. 

If you’re my generation, then mention of Cohen’s name immediately brings to mind his song, “Suzanne,” which was popular in my college years.  Cohen died in 2016, and the exhibit, a collection of videos, recordings, and film clips, is both a memorial and a testament to his work.  Individuals have collected his music and writings in tributes, and in a room of beanbags with bands of color cycling on the walls, you can flop down and listen to more than twenty of his songs.  I had not appreciated how wide ranging and extensive Cohen’s oeuvre was and was impressed with what was on display.

While there we also wandered into the permanent collection where there are both traditional self-portraits as well as more jarring contemporary works.

[Untitled] by William Anastasi

One example is the rainbow flag of gay pride with a Star of David embedded in it by Ross Bleckner; another is William Anastasi’s “jew” off center on a white canvas; and yet another is “Venus Pareve,” a colorful series of small sculpture.

“Venus Pareve” by Hannah Wilke, 1982-84

I also liked Louis Ribak’s “Self Portrait” from 1924.

DINING FIND

Sel et Poivre

This Upper East Side eatery has the feel of a comfortable shoe and seems to appeal to a neighborhood crowd.  We were early for our reservation and it was already nearly full of diners.  Wait staff are all male of a certain age (not young) and the greeting was pleasantly brisk.  The 3-course prix fixe menu was reasonable at $34.95 with a nice selection of choices.  The Chief Penguin ordered the green bean salad to start (best he’d ever had!) and then the steak frites.  I tried the mesclun salad with a mustard vinaigrette (tangy in a good way) and the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes.  Both entrees were very good and the desserts, profiteroles and raspberry sorbet, also.  We liked the overall ambience and will definitely go back.

Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is “Self-Portrait” by Anna Walinska (1928).

Manhattan Moments: Eating & Reading

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Via Carota

For us, no visit to New York would be complete without at least one meal, and preferably two or three, at Via Carota.  This temple of rustic comfort food in the West Village doesn’t take reservations so we find ourselves eating at very unfashionable times.  We tried to have dinner here on a recent Saturday night, but it was Saturday, a lovely afternoon, and folks were out, so no luck even right at 5:00 when the menu changes from lunch to dinner.  Instead we opted for lunch another day and being early (before 11:30), we easily got a table.

Grilled artichokes with lemon and aioli

Some menu items are de rigeur; that means we began with grilled artichokes (exceptionally sweet and lovely this season) accompanied by a newer treat, ramps and prosciutto over a square of grilled polenta (perfect!), and followed by an all-time great, roasted chicken with lemon and herbs. 

Ramps, prosciutto and polenta

 These dishes beg lots of chewy bread and a crisp Italian white.  It’s a somewhat indulgent lunch with most everything bathed in olive oil, but life is short!

For another take on this marvelous eatery, here’s an exuberant essay from the New York Times’ Magazine about their towering green salad, which we’ve also enjoyed a time or two.

RECENT READING: MAIN LINE CLASS

The Beneficiary:  Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father by Janny Scott

If you lived in the Philadelphia suburbs in the 1980’s and 90’s as I did, you’d be hard pressed not to have read about Robert Montgomery Scott and the family’s palatial estate, Ardrossan, on the Main Line.  The house was storied and Scott descended from a family legacy of wealth and distinction marked by both achievement and failure.  

For fourteen years, Scott was president and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art which put him regularly on the society pages.  And his mother, Helen Hope Montgomery Scott, was considered by many to have been the model for Katharine Hepburn’s character in the film, “The Philadelphia Story.”  Janny Scott’s memoir is a depiction of a monied American upper class in its heyday with multiple properties, horses, a multitude of servants, exotic travels, and an affinity for British manners and mannerisms.  Their grand mansions are almost as important characters as the individuals.

Beneath the polished surface, however, this is a generational saga riddled with alcoholism, suicide, and affairs.  Janny’s father was an alcoholic, but the extent to which this dominated his entire life, was something she only fully realized when she read his secret diaries. He bequeathed these journals to her, but they were stowed away and their location undiscovered until some years after his death.

Ms. Scott researched the family’s history, interviewed numerous relatives, and has written their collective story with tenderness and a clear eye.  She doesn’t sugarcoat reality, but she also states when she doesn’t know or what she didn’t appreciate at a particular time.  I found it all fascinating and very much appreciated the family tree at the front; with names repeated in successive generations this aid helped me keep straight which Edgar or which Hope was meant. (~JWFarrington)

Notes: Robert Scott photo from nytimes.com; other photos by JWFarrington.

Manhattan Nibbles: Art & Food

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Snippets of Art

MoMA will be closing in June for about 4 months for a slight re-do.  We opted to take advantage of our membership and walked the 20+ blocks from our apartment. Since we like their café on level 2, we had an early lunch of paninis—an Italian one and the chicken with cheese one. 

Opus 217…Portrait of M. Felix Feneon in 1890 by Paul Signac

With little in the way of special exhibits, we headed to the 5th floor for a tour around some of the permanent collection.  New since our last time were some gifts from David Rockefeller’s estate including a whimsical, punchy one by Signac that caught my eye.  

Portuguese Market by Delaunay-Terk

I was also taken with one by Sonia Delaunay-Terk as well as The Olive Trees by Van Gogh.  

The Olive Trees

Also here are his Starry Night, some bathers by Matisse, and a gallery showing off Monet’s water lily panels.  It’s a veritable treasure trove!

Felice 64 Wine Bar and Restaurant

On First Avenue, this restaurant is small and a bit cramped in feel, but obviously popular as it quickly filled up.  The roasted tomatoes (instead of the usual sliced ones) with fresh mozzarella and basil were luscious, and the pasta dishes very satisfying.  The Chief Penguin tucked into gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce and walnuts (one of his most favorite dishes) while I indulged in an order of pappardelle in a beef chunk ragu.  Thus sated, we appreciated the tiny plate of complimentary biscotti and cookies to finish.  There are a number of wines by the glass including some special pricier ones.

Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo taken in Rockefeller Center.