 |
| Christina Applegate in a staging of the Broadway production Sweet Charity |
Our pricey Bollywood stars may not like to give theatre a thought, but the stage is increasingly gaining favour with the Hollywood fraternity. Several top-notch actors, both from the small and big screens, are taking a break from their film schedules with a stint on Broadway. And as expected, the Tony Awards 2005, aptly called the Oscars for American theatre, turned out to be a star-studded evening with Hollywood turning up in full force to pick an award or cheer for their colleagues.
Among those in the fray for Tony 2005, held in New York City in June, were Denzel Washington and Jessica Lange, Kathleen Turner and Billy Crystal, Christina Applegate and Jeff Goldblum, Alan Alda and Hank Azaria... Representing plays from the past were Denzel Washington as and in Julius Caesar and Jessica Lange in Tennessee Williams? The Glass Menagerie.
The production that won awards for set design and lighting features Jeff Goldblum in a macabre fable about a writer accused of murdering children.
Monty Python?s Spamalot, starring Hank Azaria and TV star David Hyde Pierce, won the Tony for best musical, while the winner for a revival of a play was David Mamet?s Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Alan Alda. The Tony for a musical revival went to La Cage aux Folles, which beat Pacific Overtures and Sweet Charity, starring Christina Applegate.
Actor Hugh Jackman returned as the host for the third time and anchored the show along with Billy Crystal, who, coincidentally, was the only one from Hollywood to pick an award ? the special theatrical event for his 700 Sundays. The comic solo has him talking about his growing up days in Long Island. ?I want to thank everybody on behalf of the entire cast,? Crystal joked, and then added how the production has been ?the greatest thrill of my life?.
Jackman, on his part, had a dance number and also sang a duet with Aretha Franklin. Somewhere, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was rendered to celebrate the composer?s 75th birthday. Laura Linney delivered a tribute to Arthur Miller, who died this year.
 |
Two theatre festivals in less than a month is a sheer treat for the city?s theatre lovers. After Odeon ended early this month comes the Ganakrishti Natyotsav, starting July 22.
With a bouquet of plays from Bengal and beyond, the festival bouquet is spread over the Nandan campus. The gala unveils at Academy of Fine Arts with a musical soiree on theatre songs by Devjit and Riddhi Bandopadhyay.
The play for the evening is Ganakrishti?s Sateroi July. The production directed by Bratya Basu premiered last year.
Day Two sees the staging of Kasba Arghya?s Chandrabati, directed by Manish Mitra, at the Academy from 3.30 pm. The scene of action then shifts to Sisir Mancha where Mallika Sarabhai, Bibhas Chakraborty, Shuvaprasanna and Kedarnath Singh will be felicitated in the evening. This is to be followed by songs by Santanu Roy Chowdhury and with Shaoli Mitra reading out from Tagore?s Raktakarabi.
The fare for July 24 comprises Jodio Sandhya by Nehru Children?s Museum under Ramaprasad Banik?s direction, Siliguri Damama?s Delhi Chalo and Behrampore Ritwik?s Meghabati, an adaptation of Sophocles? Antigone. The productions will be staged one after the other at Sisir Mancha from 10 am.
Day IV brings in some novelty ? Bengali theatre group Roopkatha from Allahabad. Satabdir Panchali is based on Jim Anderson?s Tough Choices for the New Century and is directed by Brajendra Kumar De and Asim Kumar Mukhopadhyay. Its second offering is a Hindi play Sarju Paar Ki Daastan, directed by Mukhopadhyay. Both are slotted for Rabindra Sadan, from 6.30 pm.
In the same vein, July 26 unveils the Assamese play Gatha the First Text, by Guwahati-based group Jirsang Theatre at Rabindra Sadan, 6.30 pm.
The curtains come down on July 27 with Nabamayukh staging Warish, directed by Rishi Mukhopadhyay. Adding to the festival atmosphere will be an exhibition on ?Bangla Natak o Rabindranath? at Gaganendra Pradarshashala.
 |
A woman?s revolution is riding racy lyrics through the slums of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Several poor women have quit their jobs as maids and gas station attendants to take the stage as singers of Funk Carioca, a musical style born in the tough favelas or slums of the Brazilian seaside city.
Known as Masters of Ceremony, or MCs, these women draw huge crowds by singing raunchy songs about casual sex. Their earnings have given them a lot of financial independence.
The movement?s most prominent singer is funk diva Tati Quebra-Barraco (Tati Home-Wrecker), aged 25 and married with three children. She is also an example of economic success for the women of her community, where there are more than 2,000 funk groups.
Brazilian funk was inspired by Miami Bass, the style of hip hop extolling the virtues and vices of sex with repetitive choruses and high-speed beats made famous in the United States by groups like 2 Live Crew and 69 Boyz. It was modified in Brazil with a stronger drumbeat called tamborzao and double-entendre lyrics typical of other genres of Brazilian popular music.
