define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true); art – Drew and Jen go to London http://drewandjengotolondon.com Updates from Jen & Drew in the UK Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:49:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 http://drewandjengotolondon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/header-150x150.png art – Drew and Jen go to London http://drewandjengotolondon.com 32 32 Yield http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2011/02/yield/ http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2011/02/yield/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:48:54 +0000 http://drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=2786 As hard as we may try to stop it, the seeds will sprout. Doubt, fear, frustration, joy, hope, love… Whatever your heart sings deserves to be heard.

‘It takes a lot to keep it going/
It takes a lot to keep it real/
Take some time for yourself and learn to yield’
– Amy Ray

grass through pavement

Let it speak; listen in earnest. And then let it go.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

]]> http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2011/02/yield/feed/ 3 Thanksgiving, Lord Mayor’s Style http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2010/09/thanksgiving-lord-mayors-style/ http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2010/09/thanksgiving-lord-mayors-style/#comments Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:28:08 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=2481 No one told me that London celebrates Thanksgiving. Ok, so they call it ‘feast on the bridge’… Whatev.
feast on the bridge

Apparently the end of summer is marked by the Thames Festival, a two day outdoor arts event put on by the Thames Festival Trust.
thames festival

The Southwark Bridge was lit up like a garden reception.
Jen and the bridge

It’s the biggest end-of-summer-harvest party I have ever seen.
southwark bridge dining

dining on southward bridge

southwark bridge crowd

There were unique stalls and installations – some educational, others just fun.
thames festival activity

bicycle cinema

Yeah, I could use this kind of thing at home.
bicycle cinema two

To work off dinner.
buddha bowl

(Must. Replicate.) Brown Rice, sweet potato and pineapple curry, kale?, blackened tofu. MMMMmmm.

Oh, yeah.
konditor and cook

I did have a gingerbread man from Konditor and Cook.
gingerbread men

You should have been here for this.
crepes

Festivities stretched along the southbank from Westminster to Tower Bridge.
vw and tower bridge

You would look good in this picture. See you September 2011?
tower bridge

Sunday = Carnival+fireworks. For the win. Full report coming soon, same Bat time – same Bat channel.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

]]> http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2010/09/thanksgiving-lord-mayors-style/feed/ 2 There’s No Place You Can Hide http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/03/theres-no-place-you-can-hide/ Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:55:10 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=365 I can find something nice to say about anything.  Don’t test me.  You. will. lose.

Here’s the conundrum:  I just saw STOMP at the Ambassador Theatre in London’s West End.  You need to understand that I did not, at any moment, find myself searching for something nice to say.  Rather, I worried that mere words could not possibly express…  Words fought each other in my head for the chance to describe…  

Infectious. Hilarious. Personal, heartwarming, instinctually conversational, unbelievable.

Praise for STOMP is not a kindness.  It’s natural – and unavoidable – like the beat.  The audience dancing in their seats and the long-running success of the show are evidence enough that you should get tickets.  Before even getting comfortable in my seat I was impressed by the fantastic set, a serious piece of art in its own right.  If I had come across it in a gallery I might think it a monument to our “society of stuff”.  In use though, the meaning changes to something much more celebratory and simple.

STOMP is a show that is proudly representative of a relatively new genre in theatre, comprising the live performance of a musical composition, characterization, dance or movement, and clever use of the audience as the final performer on the bill.  It is surprisingly funny; the average audience member will laugh more at this show than they will have all of last week.  And the talent of these performers is phenomenal.  They must at once be musicians, actors, dancers, and conversationalists – without the muss and fuss of words.  Mm, Mm, Mmmm.

And before it goes seemingly unnoticed, the lighting designer deserves a round of applause.  Performance glue meets icing on the cake.

I took away the following message – we take music for granted.  Our heartbeats, the tide, the mathematical language of the cosmos…  We are living within song.  Listen for it.  Feel it.  Celebrate it.  Share it.

I think Gloria Estefan may have said it best (finally, knowing this song is useful), “the rhythm is gonna getcha”.

]]> The 7 Fingers Have my Heart http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/the-7-fingers-have-my-heart/ http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/the-7-fingers-have-my-heart/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:34:29 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=346 Loitering in the Peacock Theatre is the Sadler’s Wells production Traces.  It is an absolutely stunning piece of performance art with an urban vibe and abstract presentation.  Despite being a work of finest art it remains accessible to us all through such universal themes as struggle, self awareness, love, loss, relationships, belonging…  Traces elevates the human potential for expression through movement at the same time that it highlights the joy of movement for its own sake.

As the audience members enter they become a part of the performance – as if entering into an intimate conversation with the real life cast of the show.   There is a faded story line, artistic exploration, and timely commentary tied together by language truer than words alone.  It is a wonder to witness.  Breath taking moments are strung together seamlessly, one after the other.  As if it were as easy as the wind blowing or rain falling.

There isn’t enough praise to lend; I couldn’t sing it, dance it, paint it, play it, or spin it for you myself.  Thankfully, these performers can do a little of it all.

Not to be missed.

(Upon seeing that he was more than pleased with tonight’s show, I offered Drew the opportunity to give me his review for this performance.  Unfortunately, though “utterly speechless” works very well for him on this occasion, it’s less than our discerning audience demands.)

Happy Wednesday!

 

]]> http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/the-7-fingers-have-my-heart/feed/ 4 Any Dream Will Do http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/any-dream-will-do/ http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/any-dream-will-do/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:17:28 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=345 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a spectacular event not to be missed.  Gareth Gates lends a tangible familiarity and lovable quality to his debut as Joseph.  This show is absolutely dream-like in its presentation – the detail in every fantastic element, as well as the timely humor infused throughout, makes for an evening to be remembered.  If you allow yourself to stop wondering how the cast manages to belt out each beautiful note amidst the frenzy of choreography and perfectly timed costume changes, you can fully appreciate the wonder of this show. 

Brits know the Bible story of Joseph very well and most learn the musical score of the “Joseph” show in their music classes.  They might agree that the musical is a bit more like a circus than a Bible story heard in traditional Sunday school, but they identify with the teacher and pupils in the play as they accompany Joseph on his amazing journey, imagining it as a child might.

Prior to the show we enjoyed tapas at La Tasca just off Leicester Square.  With an environment that would please a local and tourist alike, as well as a perfect menu for sharing, I highly recommend it.  Meals and drinks are affordable and we found the staff to be friendly.

Five stars for our brilliant Tuesday evening!

]]> http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/any-dream-will-do/feed/ 4 Are You Diggin’ On Me? http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/are-you-diggin-on-me/ http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/are-you-diggin-on-me/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:29:56 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=344 To look upon Joss Stone is to behold someone distinctly familiar.  Sweet. Young. Lovely.  But when she parts her lips her soul comes rushing out like thick velvet or strong coffee.    You can blink, but she’s still your little sister or the girl next door – she’s standing on stage and it’s as if the voice of someone soulful, sultry, sexy, older sings straight through her.  Each of us has a gift to give the world and Joss clearly understands what she is meant to share.

Touring the UK in intimate settings prior to the release of her newest album, she offers her grassroots fans a fantastic show complete with band, back up singers, and a bit of polite conversation.  She’ll sing her part.

It’s quite a bit like a show built for a bigger venue, but gives a certain air of closeness that you miss in a stadium.  In fact, last night one of Birmingham’s locals asked Joss out for a curry after the show.  I am not quite sure that her coy smile said either “yes” or “no”, but he’ll always have that.

Opening for Joss was a singer/songwriter friend Adam Isaac, also from Devon.  Quite the cure for my headache, Adam has a fantastic voice and an accessible style.  Adam’s energy is refreshing to say the very least; his clever lyrics and poetic wordplay won my heart almost instantly.  If your iTunes folder includes anything by Jason Mraz, Jon Meyer, or Jack Johnson you should check out Adam Isaac.

If you are in Birmingham, do look up the The Rainbow Pub.  You’ll be sure to enjoy.

And that was only Monday…

]]> http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/are-you-diggin-on-me/feed/ 1 Toyer http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/toyer/ Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:52:55 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=333 Last night Drew and I had the pleasure of attending Toyer at the Arts Theatre London on Great Newport Street.  The theatre itself is modern and intimate, housing the London Cocktail Club – a fantastic and sexy new addition to the nightlife in the Covent Garden area.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from the show, a rumored thriller, but always enjoy a night at the theatre.

Under a full moon, quite late, we arrived at Maude’s swanky apartment.  Waiting for her to arrive we listened to the coyotes bawl and bark.  It was quite spooky waiting there for her…

Here’s what Drew had to say about the evening:

“William Schoular’s adaption of Gardner McKay’s Toyer is a tense psychological thriller featuring discomforting performances from Alice Krige and Al Weaver. In a medium filled all too often with over the top show tunes, dancing and mundane drama hoping to appeal to all ages, Toyer is a welcome change from the stereotypical theatre experience.

The play begins a bit awkwardly with the already distraught female lead, Maude, taking the stage, but very quickly settles into proper audience engagement once her counterpart, Peter, knocks on her door. The performance keeps the audience at the appropriate level of discomfort by continuing to move back and forth between tension and respite as neither Maude nor the audience is certain if this man is the Toyer or just a misguided actor.

In the end, Toyer leaves the audience considering the sexual tension between victim and victimizer as well as how performances like this are not the subject matter for children.”

I have to agree that the actors delivered an uncompromising performance and kept me quite on the edge of my seat until they finally left the stage.  The audience may have wanted to offer a standing ovation, but the air was so thick as to hold us in our seats.

]]> On the Waterfront http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/on-the-waterfront/ Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:21:40 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=318 For some reason, what’s hot in London theatre at the moment includes two plays set in New York (centering around the dock workers) near the same time.  We had the opportunity to see a fabulous revitalization of A View From the Bridge, and Tuesday night made our way to the Theatre Royal Haymarket for On the Waterfront.  It is a gorgeous traditional London theatre complete with marble and ornate chandeliers.

While Steven Burkoff’s stage adaption of On the Waterfront does showcase a group of talented actors, a compelling style and interpretation, as well as a having a similar feel to a graphic novel, there is something a bit disjointed about this production.  The slow motion scenes which are so cleverly used in a few instances may be a bit overused and tend to become a bit awkward.

Credit should be given for the obvious efforts being made to entertain and challenge the audience through a very artistic presentation of a well known film.  The actors came across as absolutely committed, unfortunately the production still felt a bit forced.  The romance was not entirely believable.  At times anger and shouting covered lines and did not give a wide enough range to convince us of the darkest truth.  The mob wasn’t quite a formidable as may have been intended.  The ending, well…  It dissipated into a slow motion sequence rather being strongly punctuated–the triumphant moment losing its glory and fading directly into the cast’s bows.

I am still impressed with the amount of work that went into this production and I keenly wish for its success.  Perhaps with the remainder of the run, the details will fall into place.

Added to the list of things I’d like to see: Waiting for Godot, starring Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.  Handsome and strange all in one show.  Nice.

]]> The Caveman is Among Us http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/the-caveman-is-among-us/ Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:38:50 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=309  

defendingthecaveman

Defending the Caveman, the one man show starring well loved Australian comedian Mark Little, is a witty exploration of gender roles and social opinion.  Upon entering the theatre you are welcomed into Mark’s slightly cave-ish living room, complete with cave paintings and Flintstones style furniture.  Mark’s spear is ready at hand–beside the remote.

As Mark entered the stage it was hard to tell if he was a character in the show or the host about to announce the show–and I got feeling he didn’t like his shirt.  Although opening night may have started slowly, the audience soon grew comfortable with a stage show that crossed over into stand up comedy.  Mark found a groove and got comfortable.  Moments later laughter erupted as we started to identify with the scenarios plaguing Mark and his wife Cath.  Hunters vs. gathers and negotiation vs. cooperation were common themes.  Writer Rob Becker has obviously done his homework on the subject; the humor is based in anthropological study, the philosophy of gender, and real day to day life.

It’s a great laugh.  It’s easy to relate to.  And there is never a better time to laugh about what makes us different than right now.

Seeing this play reminded me of something I had read recently.  Isn’t that funny how you come across something new and then you start seeing it everywhere?!  My favorite philosopher, Ken Wilber, has some great things to say about gender roles and feminism.

“…we can learn to value the differences between the male and female value spheres.  Those differences, even according to the radical feminists, appear to be here for good — but we can learn to value them with more equal emphasis.  How to do so is one of things we might want to talk about.”  

(1996, A Brief History of Everything)
ken wilber

 

]]> Of Bridges Burned http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/of-bridges-burned/ http://drewandjengotolondon.com/2009/02/of-bridges-burned/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:21:07 +0000 http://www.drewandjengotolondon.com/?p=292 While Drew was busy today, I joined Emily and Kerry for a walking tour of the area near St. Paul’s Cathedral, on the south side of the City of London.  Apparently Emily has become friends with some credentialed London tour guides, Keith and Gordon, whom I had the pleasure of meeting.  It is amazing the amount of history they have stored under their hats!  These gentlemen surely have very full social calendars; they know the whole city by heart as well as most of what there is to do.  Keith gave us plenty more information than I could ever remember about the buildings in the area that had been destroyed and rebuilt, whether due to bombings or refurbishment requirements.

keith

tour statue

st. pauls

stationers

We ended our walking tour at the Museum of London.  Though it looks rather unimpressive from the outside, it houses a fantastic amount of information on the history of the city as well as precious artifacts.  The collection of exhibitions are well presented and inviting.  Currently, the museum is undergoing refurbishment on the lower level to accommodate for exciting new features.  I wouldn’t mind visiting the Museum again, less tired, less snotty, and less frozen.

Although the headache was quite prominent by this time, the night was still very young.  The walking tour group headed to the Sir John Oldcastle pub; Drew joined our group there.  Drew and I celebrated our first beer of 2009 and enjoyed a curry.

curry

We met a few more of our group and were privileged with more information about events around the city and additional bits of history before moving along to our final destination.

The Slaughtered Lamb, in Clerkenwell, is a nice place to enjoy a drink, a hot pub meal, and live music in a part of town that is rather quiet on the weekends.  Trusting the expertise of our new dear friends, we are able to recommend the chips, but can only give three stars to the fish due to it’s low crunch factor.  The portions are healthy, and the atmosphere isn’t bad, but crunch is a rather important factor to this group.

I know you are wondering how we stumbled upon The Slaughtered Lamb.  Upon the urging of Kassi Thomas, and seeing how the venue happened to be in my neighborhood, it felt right to be at Levi Weaver’s show – despite the low grade fever, exhaustion, headache, and runny nose.  It was well worth the late night to say the least.

levi weaver

If Bob Dylan, Thom Yorke, and Coldplay had a baby I think they would name him Levi Weaver.  And I hope my saying so doesn’t offend Levi at all…  Armed with a pick, a haunting voice, a drummer, a borrowed guitar, two loop pedals (one of which may have fried mid-Of Bridges Burned), a harmonica that was missing early in the set and later returned by mic b (Mike B.), and a borrowed violin bow, Levi won my heart.  It might have taken a lot less, but I think it was the fried equipment and mislaid instruments that made the night so special.  It was cause for conversation that tied us all intimately into the performance – even to the very last note of Which Drink.  Kassi Thomas’ name did come up, in fact, and Levi spoke sweetly of my dear friend.  That’s good; I’d hate to get all redneck in public.  Under the lights.  On stage.  Like the time I was on Springer.

The lyrics are haunting and intelligently crafted, riding on a voice that lifts up one of your heartstrings in an unexpected way, and sneaks in.  If you aren’t convinced by the recordings you can find on his site, I would beg you to give it another listen live.  Experiencing his candor, wit, and spirit enhances the mere poetic vibrations – which are lovely on their own – and creates a tangible connection to the universal themes of love, loss, and the peace that only comes with hope.

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