The Denver Center Theatre Company is doing a excellent production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, the classic and moving exploration of individual expressions of the American dream on Chicago’s Southside. The title comes from these lines in the Langston Hughes poem Dream Deferred:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
The play was inspired partly by the Hansberry's family struggle to move into the White Washington Park neighborhood in South Chicago, a fight that was finally settled in her fathers favor by the U.S. Supreme Court (Hansberry vs Lee 1940).
In the play, father’s $10,000 life insurance settlement inspires three generations of the inner-city Younger family to dream of very different ways to spend the money. Mama dreams of living in a better neighborhood, her daughter plans to go to medical school and her son intends to buy into a liquor store. Money creates powerful family dynamics, and the actors do a phenomenal job of capturing the emotions of the mother, who suddenly becomes the head of the family with her dream within her grasp with the arrival of the insurance check, and her children, who fight for their dreams.
Raisin in the Sun came to Broadway in 1959, during a time my mom and dad were making business trips to New York and seeing plays there. I wonder if they took this one in.
Mike Hartman's excellent performance hit closest to home for me. Mike plays the representative from the white neighborhood who comes to ask the black family not to move in, at the same time explaining that the neighborhood is very friendly and unprejudiced, of course. It reminds me of conversations with my family when I hired the first black route salesman for my father's company.
There was an excellent review in the Denver Post yesterday:
http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_13527816
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Last night I saw the very fine production of A Picasso at Miners Alley Playhouse in Golden with my friend Marsha who is back visiting from Mexico where she now lives.
For 80 minutes we watched an artist interact with an interrogator, and through their very enlightening and entertaining dialog gain insight into how adversity is converted into great art, and why opposites attract. One drawing features Picasso on a cross, and in these 80 minutes we see him pinned down and the portraits that are produced from adversity, ranging from the death of a friend to the bombing of a village and the personal insult of a spit in the face.
Set in a basement, set aside from the press of everyday life, much like the safe space of a therapists office, we in the audience become the adult watching the interplay between the adult and the child, the superego and the id, persecution, and the fight against materialism and despair.
"The play was also about the effect of the Nazi regime on art. How it oppressed the art critic- but how the spirited artist resisted its influence," Marsha observed. She was not offended by the strong language in the play and she is, in my opinion, easily offended.
The Denver Post had this review of the play a couple of days ago:
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13506709?source=rss
For 80 minutes we watched an artist interact with an interrogator, and through their very enlightening and entertaining dialog gain insight into how adversity is converted into great art, and why opposites attract. One drawing features Picasso on a cross, and in these 80 minutes we see him pinned down and the portraits that are produced from adversity, ranging from the death of a friend to the bombing of a village and the personal insult of a spit in the face.
Set in a basement, set aside from the press of everyday life, much like the safe space of a therapists office, we in the audience become the adult watching the interplay between the adult and the child, the superego and the id, persecution, and the fight against materialism and despair.
"The play was also about the effect of the Nazi regime on art. How it oppressed the art critic- but how the spirited artist resisted its influence," Marsha observed. She was not offended by the strong language in the play and she is, in my opinion, easily offended.
The Denver Post had this review of the play a couple of days ago:
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13506709?source=rss
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Back in Denver for a third time by “Popular” demand, The New York Times calls Wicked “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster.” In the show’s first two engagements here since 2005, it has broken box office records and sold out in record time. Winner of 26 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, Wicked “deserves the passion it inspires” (Rocky Mountain News).
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One — born with emerald green skin — is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for “the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time” (USA Today).
Tickets start at $35
Groups (20+) submit a Group Request by using the button above or call 303.446.4829
Running time: 2 hrs 30 min with a 15 min intermission
http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Wicked/Overview.aspx
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One — born with emerald green skin — is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for “the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time” (USA Today).
Tickets start at $35
Groups (20+) submit a Group Request by using the button above or call 303.446.4829
Running time: 2 hrs 30 min with a 15 min intermission
http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Wicked/Overview.aspx
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Go Pioneers!
After two seasons with the Mile High Sports Radio Network, the University of Denver basketball and hockey programs are returning to KRWZ AM 950 and FM Sportsradio 104.3 the FAN, respectively, as their exclusive radio homes for the 2009-10 season. The FAN served as the exclusive home to Pioneer athletics for eight seasons from 1999-2007.
AM 950 will serve as the flagship station for the Denver men's basketball program. All 29 regular season games and all postseason game will be broadcast on AM 950. Veteran basketball announcer Mitch Hyder calls the action for his 11th season.
"It is important that our loyal Denver basketball fans can listen to all of our games on one radio station," DU head basketball coach Joe Scott said. "We are pleased that every home, road and postseason game will be broadcast on a great radio signal in AM 950."
FM Sportsradio 104.3 the FAN will serve as the flagship station for the seven-time NCAA champion DU hockey program, carrying a majority of the broadcasts with some games on AM 950. Jay Stickney returns for his 10th season calling on the exciting on-ice, play-by-play action.
"We are excited to return to the premier sports radio station in the Denver Metro region," DU head coach George Gwozdecky said. "We have a highly-competitive schedule and we're excited to renew our partnership with our friends at the FAN."
FM Sportsradio 104.3 the FAN is Denver's Sports Station. Live local talk with some of Denver's premier talk talent, including Scott Hastings, Alfred Williams, Sandy Clough and Mike Evans. Mix that with the strength of Mike & Mike in the Morning and the Jim Rome Show and you truly have Denver's #1 sports station, FM Sportsradio 104.3, the FAN.
"It's World Class Hockey on FM for the entire front range to hear and college basketball's No. 1 program in Colorado heard everywhere on AM 950," Sr. VP/GM Bob Call of Lincoln Financial Media Co. of Colorado said.
Men’s basketball season tickets for the 2009-10 Denver Pioneers are currently on sale. DU continues its commitment to provide the community with the most affordable and exciting entertainment in the Denver metro area. Ticket packages start at $64.
Individual game tickets will go on sale on Oct. 5, with prices ranging from $9-$15 for adults. DU students get into the game free with their Pioneer Card. For ticket information, please visit DenverPioneers.com or call the Pioneer Basketball Ticket Hotline at (303) 871-HOOP.
Follow DU athletics on the web at www.DenverPioneers.com
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