"Petit bouillon de culture"… May 2011

A few cultural “manifestations” over the last few weeks – films, opera, theatre, dance…

1) El Bulli – Cooking in Progress” – HotDocs 2011
First a film at HotDocs, Toronto, “El Bulli- Cooking in Progress”, about this well-known culinary experiment by chef Ferran Adrià, in his 3 Michelin stars restaurant near Barcelona. Fascinating, in part because of the place’s reputation, and the fact that I never had a chance to go – too busy, too far from Barcelona! The place is closed for the next 2 years or so as Adrià is taking some sort of sabbatical, but in the past, the restaurant was closed the first 6 months of the year, the time Adrià and the numerous chefs that are needed to operate the restaurant would go away in Barcelona, in a sort of clinic environment, to come up with the menus for the second six months of the year! One has to understand that we are talking about the molecular method to prepare food, and that what is prepared and served are bite-size portions. One is struck by the minutia applied in coming up with new dishes, inventing new subtle ways in preparing and cooking a ravioli! The makers of the film (Gereon Wetzel and a partner) are on hands at the screening to give a few hints as how they went about the film – a 15 months experience. Plus the sommelier québécois who also was there at Bulli during the shooting – strangely enough no wine seemed to be served, no pairing commented upon. His advice: with that food, drink champagne!

Review by Sarah Gopaul
“Last year, one of my top Hot Docs selections was Kings of Pastry, a documentary about the world’s top pastry chefs competing for the Meilleur Ouvrier. It was “one of the most delicious films ever committed to celluloid.” When I saw El Bulli – Cooking in Progress in this year’s program, I was immediately drawn to the film. Unfortunately, lightening didn’t strike twice and director Gereon Wetzel didn’t capture the same magic as D.A. Pennebaker.
Located in Spain, El Bulli is a Michelin three-star restaurant and Restaurant Magazine’s five-time annual best restaurant in the world. Serving 8,000 diners between June and December – a fraction of the more than two million requests – the camera is invited into the restaurant, kitchen and laboratory of chef Ferran Adrià. To prepare for each season, the restaurant closes for the first six months of the year while Adrià and his team retreat to Barcelona to invent the new menu.
This film is both boring and fascinating. Let me explain. Watching the group of chefs experiment with various foods, using a variety of techniques to accomplish numerous flavours for the first half of the movie is eventually mind-numbing. It may interest other chefs, but the minute variations that are basically undetectable to the audience all blend together. On the other hand, some of the results are enticing. For example, a plate with a base of olive oil, topped with tiny tangerines and small chips of ice makes Adrià light up with delight and peaks my curiosity; as does a cocktail of water and hazelnut oil. Most intriguing: a disappearing ravioli casing.
However, one of the film’s downfalls is its failure to divulge certain pieces of information earlier in the documentary. It’s not revealed until much later that El Bulli is an avant garde restaurant. Thus, a diner will be served 35 dishes in a three-hour period that may only require two to three bites to consume. The aim of each dish is to create an emotion and/or sensation first and taste second. Moreover, it’s later made known that this year’s theme is water, which goes a long way in explaining the direction of some of the recipes.
It’s when Adrià and his team return to El Bulli during the latter half of the film that the doc becomes more relatable. They begin training the more than 40 chefs required to produce the eccentric menu each night, and there is a lot more dialogue and activity. Moreover, we finally get to see some of the results of the all the testing that took place.
In the end, our patience is rewarded with stunning photos of the completed menu, but the journey is somewhat arduous.
El Bulli – Cooking in Progress is playing as part of Hot Docs on Friday, April 29 at 8:45 pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Saturday, April 30 at 1:00 pm at Cumberland Theatre and Sunday, May 8 at 3:00 pm at Cumberland Theatre.”

Interesting link, the necrology of the “anti-Adrià” chef, Santi Santamaría, Catalan as well, who died recently at the tender age of 53 (see http://www.economist.com/node/18226603). Traditional heavy Catalan food – totally “non-Adrià”! If you want to live long, there may be a lesson there…

 
2) Ondaatje & Minghella: The English Patient, at TIFF

A favourite of ours, Ondaatje, his book and Minghella’s film rendition of the book. Minghella of course has passed away, “untimely” as they say in his early 50’s, but Ondaatje was there to comment about the film and his making – the interviewer, CBC Eleanor Wachtel, obviously had a better memory of details than he did! He subjected himself to the traditional task of signing copies of the book after the showing,...and dutifully had our 1993 paperback copy of “The English Patient” autographed... Fascinating book – I had read it while living in Hong-Kong, but also a fascinating film – this is when I “fell in love” for the first time with Kristin Scott-Thomas!

Books on Film: The English Patient
Anthony Minghella
Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient and Anthony Minghella's The English Patient with Michael Ondaatje. Hosted by Eleanor Wachtel.
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Books on Film Club
official description
Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient and Anthony Minghella's The English Patient with Michael Ondaatje. Hosted by Eleanor Wachtel.

Book Club meets Film Group as TIFF Bell Lightbox introduces “Books On Film Club”, a series of screenings and conversations about the art of adaptation. Hosted by CBC’s Eleanor Wachtel, this series brings together book and film lovers to examine great cinema that began as outstanding literature. The challenges, the successes, and the lessons learned will all be covered as Eleanor welcomes guests including filmmakers, authors and experts to discuss the art and impact of books on film.


 
3) Wagner & Lepage at the MET: Die Walküre

Live in HD at Cineplex theatre. Second experience of the kind (had seen the opera “Nixon in China” in the same format a few months before)
This is the second opera of the famous “Ring Circle”, Wagner’s “tetralogie”. The Met has not done the full Ring in 20 years. This one is “special” because it is directed by Robert Lepage – one has to see and hear about “the machine”, the “technology” piece that provides the set for the opera: something else! A series of 24 huge parallel planks, moved according to a computer program (the show today was 45 minutes late in starting because of the computer keys, we were explained, had to be “re-aligned”) and so heavy that the foundations of the stage had to be considerably re-enforced to sustain the weight of the “machine”! But what a result – the “ride of the Walkyries” on these muck mechanical horses is to be seen!

The Metropolitan Opera: Die Walküre (Encore) Overview
The Met has assembled a stellar cast for this second installment of Robert Lepage's new production of the Ring cycle, conducted by James Levine: Bryn Terfel is Wotan, lord of the Gods, in his first performances of the role with the company. Deborah Voigt adds the part of Brünnhilde to her extensive Wagnerian repertoire at the Met. Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek star as the Wälsungen twins, Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Stephanie Blythe is Fricka.
The Ring is not just a story or a series of operas, it's a cosmos," says Lepage, who brings cutting-edge technology and his own visionary imagination to the world's greatest theatrical journey. Levine, who has conducted every complete cycle of Wagner's masterpiece performed by the Met since 1989, says, "The Ring is one of those works of art that you think you know, but every time you return to it, you find all kinds of brilliant moments that hadn't struck you with the same force before."
Voir:
http://wanderer.blog.lemonde.fr/2011/05/06/metropolitan-opera-met-die-walkure-de-rwagner-le-5-mai-2011-dirmus-derrick-inouye-ms-en-scene-robert-lepage-avec-jonas-kaufmann-eva-maria-westbroek-deborah-voigt-et-bryn-terfel/
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Walk%C3%BCre
critiques:
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/spectacles-et-theatre/201104/25/01-4393046-die-walkure-la-machine-de-robert-lepage-ne-fait-pas-lunanimite.php


4) “Jersey boys” – Des McAnuff

This is how Andrzej Lukowski of “Time Out” described it:
“Here's the 'Jersey Boys' concept. Take one gleaming back-catalogue - that of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, whose Bob Gaudio-penned songs have become so woven into the fabric of Western pop culture that it's easy to forget who actually wrote them. Next, instead of torturously extrapolating a zany plot out of the lyrics, simply make the story of 'Jersey Boys' the story of the Four Seasons. Get a top-notch book, written by Rick Elice and Woody Allen collaborator Marshall Brickman. Hire a director, Des McAnuff, who doesn't let extended song and dance routines get in the way of a playful, incident-packed story that's not afraid to play a little hard and fast with chronology. Combine, and you have not only one of the best shows in town, but an object lesson in how the whole benighted jukebox musical sub-genre can spawn a genuine classic.
It's therefore not a surprise to note that there have been few changes at the Prince Edward Theatre over the last three years. Supporting cast members have come and gone, but the prodigiously-piped, wonderfully craggy Ryan Molloy is still front and centre as Frankie Valli most nights (though former S Club 7 member Jon Lee now subs for him on occasion).
The current crop Seasons are great fun: Matthew Wycliffe's nerdy nice guy Gaudio and Jon Boydon's wiseass Tommy DeVito engage as the two men fighting for the soul of the band, while the Lurch-like Eugene McCoy makes the role of bassist Nick Massi his own.
But it's the book that emerges as star. The story of 'Jersey Boys' is the story of most musicians who went from bluecollar roots to more success than they could handle. What's great about Ellis and Brickman'stelling of the tale is not only its ready wit and refusal and obvious effection for its subjects, but also the poignancy in the shift of narratorial duties from Tommy DeVito to Bob Gaudio. By the second half DeVito has lost his grip on band, show and himself. And in the background Molloy's Valli grows subtly in stature, from runty street rat to troubled father, but always with those formidable pipes, the like of 'Rag Doll', 'Walk Like A Man' and 'Big Girls Don't Cry' still intoxicatingly odd a half century on.”

As I said somewhere else, I enjoyed, but not really my “cup of tea”...


5) Untitled – La La La Human Steps

Untitled
Toronto premiere - Édouard Lock, artistic director and choreographer of La La La Human Steps - one of Canada's most exhilarating and acclaimed cultural exports pushing the boundaries of dance - is creating an innovative and challenging new work, as yet untitled, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his company. The piece will be a fusion of two iconic operas. Lock deconstructs and reinvents two distinct tragic love stories creating a new and unpredictable narrative through a provocative hybrid of dance, film, music, narrative, form and style. Renowned for his ferocious, high-velocity, post-modernist choreography, multi-award-winner Édouard Lock and his Montreal-based company catapulted to the forefront of the international dance scene in 1985 with Human Sex. Untitled runs May 26 - June 1, 2011 (media night: May 26).
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Special to National Post May 27, 2011 – 1:54 PM ET | Last Updated: May 27, 2011 3:19 PM ET
By Dana Glassman
La La La Human Steps
Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto
A single spotlight hovers on a creature. She twists and twitches, her chiselled muscles ready for action. The stage is spare, the lighting dark and right from the start there’s no mistaking Montreal choreographer Édouard Lock’s trademark style.
As the visionary behind La La La Human Steps, Lock is famous for pushing his dancers to twist and turn with dizzying ferocity, and this is emphasized more than ever in his new untitled work. The company hasn’t performed in Toronto since 2007, but after touring Europe and other cities in Canada, they took to the stage May 26 for the first of six performances.
At one point in this high-octane piece, two female dancers dressed in black strapless bodysuits appear en pointe. Their legs bourrée stiffly, but their Gumby-like arms flutter and flap so quickly your eyes can barely keep up. The fact that the cast of 11 dancers, both male and female, maintain these speeds for an hour and a half straight is nothing short of brilliant.
The program notes indicate the work is inspired by two operatic love stories, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gluck’s Orfeo et Euridice. There’s no obvious narrative here, but Lock clearly loves playing with crazy contrasts. Any traditional views on love are shattered — these dancers appear purposely passionless, as though sending a message that love is not to be trusted.
The dimly lit stage adds to the ominous mood, making it challenging to see the dancers faces. This becomes frustrating at times, but it’s clear Lock has consciously decided the focus should be on the dancers’ strong pointe work and powerhouse pirouettes.
Lock commissioned composers Gavin Bryars and Blake Hargreaves to deconstruct the score, and a four-member band plays onstage behind the dancers. The pseudo-Baroque music is lively and melodic, but it’s juxtaposed with the harsh sounds of dancers purposely panting and slapping their skin.
There’s also a mysterious video component. Two gigantic screens featuring women’s faces, one young and one old, appear at different intervals. Are these images meant to be a metaphor for the rapid pace of life? Whatever the intent, the overall effect is far less interesting than watching the risk-taking dancers/athletes tackle Lock’s intricate footwork.
Overall, this is a bold, take-no-prisoners work. It’s well suited to show off a company that for 30 years has pushed boundaries and wowed international audiences by fusing ballet with modern dance. But this piece is far from perfect. For instance, there are sequences that appear overly repetitive. Combine that with frustratingly dark lighting and the audience is left at its conclusion feeling somewhat cold.
As Lock forges into his fourth decade as artistic director/choreographer of La La La Human Steps it would be nice to see him incorporate some more adagio movements into his works. The dancers are more than capable of lingering on balances and slow extensions and this would provide a dramatic contrast to the hyperkinetic choreography they’re used to.
Also, there have been ballet aficionados in the audience wondering why Russian prima ballerina Diana Vishneva was not able to perform with the company in Toronto after joining them in Montreal and on the European tour. While that would have been a bonus, the company’s current roster of stars, notably Talia Evtushenko, Mi Deng and Jason Shipley-Holmes make up for Vishneva’s absence.
Despite the above quibbles, it was great seeing La La La Human Steps back in Toronto. The relatively small 868-seat Bluma Appel Theatre offered the audience a rare opportunity to see the dancers up close. No doubt many in the audience will return to see the works of two other Canadian choreographic trailblazers, Marie Chouinard and Crystal Pite, on the same stage next season.
La La La Human Steps performs at Toronto’s Bluma Appel Theatre until June 1. For more information, visit canadianstage.com.

London in May!

Stayed in a hotel walking distance from meetings (well, at least the first day’s). It’s the Hazlitt’s, made of a few houses joined together and built in the 18th century, refurbished to meet today’s traveler’s (electronic) needs: wireless internet access and lots of electric outlets (for chargers)! It’s an old place - the floors have settled longtime ago! It was built when Soho was a suburb of London! Near Soho Square, a very fashionable place at the time. In the West End. It certainly has changed since; a very mix crowd now around – I’ve read somewhere a reference to the “demi-monde” – conveniently located very close to, if not in, the entertainment district. At the same time, very quiet.

It oozes old Georgian charm. Named after William Hazlitt, an English writer, an essayist, literary critic, grammarian and philosopher, of the beginning of the 19th century, who would have lived here as a boarder. He also wrote a full biography of Napoleon, whom he apparently admired. There is quite a write-up on him on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hazlitt) Must admit, I did not know him, or if I did at one time, I have forgotten! He is apparently considered now as one of the great essayists of the English language, on par with Samuel Johnson or George Orwell. He also befriended many of the literati of the day, the Lambs, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Stendhal, etc. (Rooms don’t have numbers here but names – I am staying in the Jonathan Swift room – big painting of his figure hanging above the marble fireplace – named after the Irish born author of Gulliver’s Travels who was, I read, a frequent visitor – his “particular” friend, the poetess Mary Barker, owned one of the houses that now constitutes the hotel…

Two recent connections come to mind as I read and discover about the place: Hazlitt’s father had founded the Unitarian Church in Boston, Massachusetts, where we visited a couple of weeks ago. And Michael Ondaatje, author of the Booker prize “the English patient”, whom we met at a TIFF event last week, would have stayed here and left a signed copy of one of his books on display in the reading room…

I enjoyed my stay there, and recommended it on a few travel sites.

Spent the Sunday afternoon watching “Jersey Boys” in a nearby theatre – very light after Wagner Die Walküre the day before! While I enjoyed it – I went more by curiosity as it is directed by Des McAnuff who is currently the artistic director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival – it confirmed my not being a particular fan of contemporary musicals (I find the plot never particularly challenging enough!)

Tried a few new restaurants while in town. Had dinner at a place nearby, Dean Street Townhouse, run by hip local hotel-management company, SohoHouse. Lunch at Arbutus, a French menu place across the street from the hotel, and Scott’s, what appeared to be a very fashionable eatery, in a very fashionable part of town – great seafood though! Also, a fun and busy tapas place, Dehesa, in Kingly area.

Had a couple of hours for shopping, which I spent at nearby Liberty, certainly a unique place as multi-story department stores go - very sharp! The exterior of a Tudor structure, there are 5 floors to go to, filled of great quality and diversity of goods, designers’ in good part, and very enticing – there was a collection launch that day, and they were serving champagne: a delightful way to shop and wander about – very astute as well as I bought a few more things than I had planned to!

The weather, which had been warm and dry over the 2 months or so before the days I was there, when it was cold and rainy, was coming back to a sunny inclination. But I was leaving…

London, May 19, 2011