Art, Drama, Music and Turtles

Four brief reviews where much more is warranted.

Art: The Retratos exhibit of Latin American portraitry (is that a word) at the Smithsonian Ripley International Gallery is gone. You can catch in next, I believe, in San Antonio. One hundred exhibits of Latin portrait art, ranging from 2000 year old Peruvian clay sculptures, to late 20th century modern portraits and self portraits. The big names are represented (Rivera, Tomayo, Botero, Sequeiros,Kahlo and so on) and many you have never heard of. A fascinating sixteenth century painting of ethnic African nobility; religious paintings of saints and priests; portraits of wealthy women and their husbands. All with those rich and lustrous colors that were found in the Peruvian exhibit last year at the National Geographic.

Drama: Nextbook's program last night, featuring four actors reading from literature written by non-Jews but about Jews, was also not to be missed. But most people missed it, as I only counted about 50 or so in the Theater J space. The readings were from The Canterbury Tales (the Prioress' tale), Ivanhoe, Daniel Deronda, The Great Gatsby, House of Mirth, the Sun Also Rises and Ulysses. All four actors were excellent: Laura Ferri, Colin Byrne, David Klein and Shellie Shulkin. They went from character to character, from American to British to Irish dialects, giving great comic and dramatic readings. This was rehearsed; no sight readings here. See it when it plays Chicago next.

Music: My Tuesday lunch time concert today featured three Levine School staff members, vocalist Marilyn Moore-Brown, clarinetist Tiffani Perry and pianist Matthew van Hoose. The music they chose to play left something to be desired. First, there were three songs by Gordon Jacobs (don't know him, do you?) for voice and clarinet. I did not care for them musically, and the words (which I read but could not understand from Moore-Brown, whose beautiful voice masks her diction) were nonsense, I thought. van Hoose then played a Beethoven sonata (E major, Opus 109). I thought I would recognize all the Beethoven sonatas...but not this one. It is characterized by a superabundance of notes. Not always the best thing. but it does give a chance for the painist to show off his talents. They ended with Schubert's "The Shepherd on the Rock", a lied with piano and clarinet accompaniment, with lyrics by Wilhelm Mu[with an umlaut]ller. I could listen to most Schubert 24/7 and this song is no exception.

Turtles: Yesterday, I went to the National Acquarium at the Commerce Department on 14th Street, just south of Pennsylvania Avenue. I had not been there in about 30 years. It has not changed a bit. The water in the tanks looked clean, so I assume the fish are well cared for, but the basement acquarium remains dreary, dreary, dreary. And you have to feel sorry for the residents. They don't know how good their Balitmore cousins have it. But then, there is the sea turtle. He is an intellect, and an actor, and quite friendly. He (like the otters at the National Zoo) is worth the price of admission. In fact, I may go back just to see him. He is my friend.