WNYC's Culture and Arts Editor, Steve Smith brings us his latest picks along with Weekend Edition host David Furst.
We've spoken before about all the big shows in previews on Broadway. Now they're starting to open officially, so we can start to revisit what's really worth seeing -- and "Death of a Salesman" belongs high on that list. The new production is helmed by director Miranda Cromwell, and it's based on a hugely acclaimed staging she and Marianne Elliott presented three years ago in London, in which the struggles of the Loman family are intensified by casting them as a Black family working within an otherwise white world.
A lot of attention has been paid to the leading man, Wendell Pierce, who's known for his performances in "The Wire" and "Treme." And rightly so: his depiction of Willy Loman is huge, overwhelming, sympathetic if not entirely likeable. But the actor who grabbed my attention instantly and never let go was Sharon D. Clarke, who portrays Linda Loman.
Other standouts include Broadway veteran André de Shields as a seductively diabolic Ben Loman and Delaney Williams as the Loman's good-hearted neighbor, Charley, but the cast is solid throughout. You might not agree with everything in this production -- The New York Times critic Jesse Green found some of the flashback scenes to play out less like fond memories than clichés, for instance. But the new production helps us to see one of the truly great American plays in a new light, and, as Linda Loman herself says, "Attention must be paid." The show runs through January 15 at the Hudson Theatre, and you can learn more at "Death of a Salesman."
2. "A Memorial Tribute to Ingram Marshall"
We're sticking close to home for "A Memorial Tribute to Ingram Marshall," hosted by John Schaefer of New Sounds in The Greene Space, the culture and arts venue operated by New York Public Radio here in lower Manhattan.
Ingram Marshall wasn't a household name, but his works for acoustic instruments with electronics was hugely influential -- composer John Adams stated admiringly that Marshall created music of "almost painful intimacy." Marshall died in June from complications of Parkinson's Disease, and this tribute concert includes some of his most powerful works played by musicians who knew him best, including Timo Andres, Sarah Cahill, and Libby van Cleve. And the program includes Marshall's best known piece, "Fog Tropes," which some listeners might recall from the soundtrack to the Leonardo DiCaprio film "Shutter Island." The concert is happening next Friday night, Oct. 21, at 7pm, and you can learn more at The Greene Space.
