Olympic history was the talk at the Embassy of Greece

One of the photographs at the"Olympic Memorabilia" exhibit at the Embassy of Greece is this one of the 1896 100 meters semifinal race.  American Thomas Burke, second from left, was the winner.  Note the different starting positions.  His was controversial because it was deemed uncomfortable and unfair, but the Olympic Committee allowed it/International Olympic Committee

Last week at the Embassy of Greece in Washington, there was no mention of the critical vote Sunday in the homeland; the talk was all Olympics at the opening of a new embassy exhibit, "Olympic Memorabilia."

Photographs dating from 1894 of Olympic athletes and artifacts make up the exhibit. The pictures and some of the original items featured in the photographs were included in an exhibition last month in Athens at the World Olympics Collectors Fair, an embassy official said.

Artist Yoshiko Oishi Weick holds a replica of an Olympic torch at the Embassy of Greece/Patricia Leslie

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Welcoming visitors to the opening of the Washington event were embassy and Olympic Committee officials, and an Olympic basketball star, Tom McMillen, who later became a Democratic congressman from Maryland.  Mr. McMillen was a team member for the U.S. in 1972 which ended in a highly controversial ruling in the contest versus the Soviet Union.

Tom McMillen at the Embassy of Greece/Patricia Leslie

Because officials kept re-setting the clock to favor the Soviet athletes, Mr. McMillen said, they collected the gold medal.  The U.S. team voted unanimously to boycott the medal ceremony and refused to accept their silver medals which are in a vault in Lausanne, Switzerland.  (Read the Wikipedia account of the game and the controversy.)

Before he talked about the game, Mr. McMillan recalled the horror of the murders of the 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic site in Munich.

On July 27 the 2012 Summer Olympics shall begin in London.

What: "Olympic Memorabilia" pictorial exhibition

When: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. until August 31, 2012

Where: The Embassy of Greece, 2217 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Cost:  No charge

Metro station:  Dupont Circle  (Connecticut Avenue and Q Street exit) and walk .25 mile to the embassy or ride the L2 bus towards Chevy Chase Circle after you get off Metro

For more information: 202-939-1300

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'Memphis' in June at the Kennedy Center is hot not

The biggest weakness in this traveling musical is the music. Yes, the music. The dancing is terrific, the action will keep you engaged, the costumes are dazzling and fun to check out, and the vocals are absolutely glorious once you can get past the first few scenes and can hear them over the big bass but, the music...

I know, I know Memphis received the Tony in 2010 for Best Musical and Best Original Score, but the songs are the same and repetitious (except for "Change Don't Come Easy"). Have any transferred to the popular charts?

The story is based on the ideas and dreams of a real life white disc jockey in Memphis (Bryan Fenkart: The man can sing! Dance! Act!) who thinks black music has a wider audience than just among black folks, and the perpetually enthusiastic dreamer sets out to, as they say, follow his passion. That he persists in the antagonistic environment of the 1950s is remarkable.

That he has a black girlfriend is astonishing, too.  And that performance by Felicia Boswell as "Felicia" (same name) is equally as classy as Fenkart's. 

The threesome male dancers ("Be Black Trio," Alfie Parker, Jr., Jarvis D. McKinley, and Justin Prescott) will make you question what you are seeing: Were those just splits in mid-air or what? (Be careful and avoid locking your eyes on their shimmering costumes or you'll miss spectacular dance steps. As a matter of fact, costumes for the entire production (Paul Tazewell) were correct in every detail.  Lots of Fab 50s dresses.)

It’s hard to imagine better dancing than that in Memphis (Sergio Trujillo), however, it was not nominated for a Tony Best Choreography which may say something about the competition (or politics).

Ms. Boswell reminded me again and again of Diana Ross and how exact she would be in a Diana Ross role, and program notes reveal she's played Ms. Ross more than once.

The scenes change frequently and are nothing special except for the apartment dwelling of Huey (Fenkart) and his mom (who almost steals the show as played by Julie Johnson).

Of local interest: the director, Christopher Ashley, received a Helen Hayes Award in Washington for Direction for Sweeney Todd; lighting designer, Howell Binkley, is a five-time Helen Hayes recipient; ensemble member, Whitney Leigh Brown, is a native of the District who attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts; and assistant stage manager, Tiffany N. Robinson, graduated from Howard University.

At the end of opening night, the audience gave the performance a standing ovation which is becoming de rigueur at the Kennedy Center, it seems, but it may have been the Heat.

What: Memphis

When: Now through July 1, 2012 (with dark Mondays)

Where: Opera House, Kennedy Center

How much: Tickets start at $39

For more information: 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600

Metro station: Foggy Bottom and ride the free KenCen shuttle found at the top of the escalators or walk over (about a half mile)

Rating:  X (some foul language, but no F-bombs)

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Eschenbach, a musical Einstein at the podium

Christoph Eschenbach/Scott Suchman

Like a synchronized swimmer who lifts her arms up and out creating a cascade of water droplets in a flourish, Conductor Christoph Eschenbach majestically led the National Symphony Orchestra in an exquisite program last weekend, frequently bending slightly at the knee and raising his arms straight up to give notice to the musicians that he wanted flourish, and flourish he got.

With the wave of his baton and a sprinkling of music dust, the orchestra performed flawlessly (at least, to my ears).

When measures arrived for timpani, cymbals, and horns, Eschenbach gave a quick uptick with his body which said “right here and now!” and the musicians gleefully complied.  They seemed to love the instruction which paid off in the enthusiasm of the audience who was in rapture as well. 

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From my third row seat with the perspective of a turtle looking up, I could only wish the Kennedy Center would allow me to photograph the maestro to adequately convey the rhythm and movements he exercised at the height of glory.

I became so wrung out and exhausted just watching from my statutory position “down below” (my eye level matched the shoes of the musicians) that I was certainly able to shed most of my dinner calories.  Talk about moving at your station, Michelle!

“Look at him,” said the woman behind me as Conductor Eschenbach slowly (and I mean slowly) approached the podium from offstage for yet another encore: “He can barely walk.”  It was true, and one wondered how sore he would be on the morrow when he had another concert to conduct.

Sitting beside me was most assuredly the fiancee? The sister? of the guest cellist, Claudio Bohorquez from Germany, for she of blonde hair and in flowered skirt leaped to her feet upon conclusion of Lalo's Cello Concerto in D minor, to clap madly for a few moments in a solo arrangement before other members of the audience joined to applaud Bohorquez's masterful play.

The rest of the program was excellent fare beginning with Overture, le carnaval romain by Berlioz and ending the evening with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.  It was a splendid night. 

Christoph Eschenbach/Jean Gaumy, Magnum Photos, Orchestre de Paris

Although the Metro was practically dysfunctional afterwards (Tysons Corner construction), and I had to share the late train with 200,000 Girl Scouts and their leaders and missed the last bus home, being forced to hail a taxi for a ride practically out to the Shenandoahs, was the evening worth it?

Mesdames and Messieurs, s'il vous plait!

Bien sur!

Bravo! Maestro Eschenbach!  Bravo! National Symphony Orchestra! 

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'George Bellows': A knockout at the National Gallery of Art

George Bellows, Madeline Davis, 1914, Lowell and Sandra Mintz

Quick! Think “George Bellows” (1882-1925) and what immediately comes to mind?

Yes, the fighting between the muscled boxers, the shadows, the lighting, the crowds, the smiling, cheering and sinister-looking men who surround the ring, but George Bellows painted much more than just men in competition.   

George Bellows, Club Night, 1907, National Gallery of Art, John Hay Whitney Collection

An exhibition of 130 of his paintings, lithographs, and drawings which span subjects ranging from portraits to fiery preachers to New York tenements opened Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, the first Bellows retrospective in 30 years. 

The large show fills nine rooms, and the works are arranged thematically according to his early works, city and river life, the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, seascapes, work and leisure, and, quite importantly,  portraits of the working poor and their displacement. 

George Bellows, Paddy Flannigan, 1908, Erving and Joyce Wolf

Bellows's wife, Emma, and their daughters figure prominently in a gallery about women, his relationship with his wife, a testament to enduring love. 

George Bellows, Emma in the Purple Dress, 1919, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Raymond J. and Margaret Horowitz

He painted many other women, too, and the horrors of World War I.

In disturbing and graphic scenes, Bellows portrayed the occupation of Belgium by the Germans who slaughtered the people, used them for naked shields, and maimed their children, images which shock and haunt viewers, and stand as reminders of man’s constant inhumanity. 

George Bellows, The Barricade, 1918, Birmingham Museum of Art, with funds provided by the Harold and Regina Simon Fund, the Friends of American Art, Margaret Grisham Livingstone, and Crawford L. Taylor, Jr.

Bellows reluctantly supported the war and his art was used to encourage the American people to buy Liberty bonds. (Contrast his responses to war with those of Joan Miro in the exhibition in the East Building.)

George Bellows, The Germans Arrive, 1918, Ian and Annette Cumming.  This painting, according to Wikipedia, is based on an actual event.  When Bellows was criticized by another artist for painting a scene he did not witness firsthand, Bellows replied he was unaware that Leonardo da Vinci had "had a ticket to paint the Last Supper."

His breakaway style dramatically emphasizes human curves, the lines of landscape, and keen grasp of lighting and its effects. His love of sports shows up in many of his skillful renderings of male athletes.

Standing back and admiring his compositions, one is struck by the symmetry and importance of the designs and lines:  Trees, buildings, bridges, and the ground often direct attention to the main subject: people.

But look in the distance and what do you see?

George Bellows, Blue Morning, 1909, National Gallery of Art, Chester Dale Collection

He was born in Columbus, Ohio where he was bullied as a child in school. Later, at The Ohio State University, Bellows played basketball and baseball, drew illustrations for the yearbook, and rejected an offer to play ball for the Cincinnati Reds so he could take off for New York and pursue an art education.  Not what his father wanted his only child to do, but better your heart than your head.

Bellows died at age 42 from the effects of appendicitis, leaving behind so many strong renderings on so many different subjects, viewers can only guess about his output had he lived as long as his contemporary and friend, Edward Hopper, born the same year as Bellows and living until age 85.

In addition to the 336-page catalogue, the National Gallery's shops have for sale a Bellows mug, calendar, postcards, boxed notes, a film, and books including a new children's book, George Bellows: Painter with a Punch! Also, an audio tape for $5 is available for the tour.

From the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. the show travels to the Metropolitan Museum in New York (November 15) and then, the Royal Academy of Arts in London (March 16, 2013). 

For their sponsorship of this exhibition the people of the United States and guests are grateful to Nippon Television Network Corporation, The Terra Foundation for American Art, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Cordover Family Foundation, and The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts.

Exhibition events

Talks:

Eric Denker

June 20–22, 27, 28, 30, 2 p.m.

Diane Arkin

July 25, 30; August 3, 6, 7, 11 a.m.

West Building Rotunda, Main Floor

50 minutes

Two piano concerts

Both by Leslie Amper

June 24 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

East Building Concourse, Auditorium

1.Ciné-concert: 4 p.m.
Music for the silent film, The New York Hat, and lecture

2. Concert: 6:30 p.m.
Music by Gershwin, MacDowell, and other composers

Film: 

George Bellows

Produced by the Gallery, this film uses original footage shot in Manhattan and Maine. The film will be screened in the West Building Lecture Hall daily beginning at noon, and in the East Building Auditorium Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., with minor exceptions.

Made possible by the HRH Foundation.

Public Symposium

Friday, October 5, 12–5 p.m.
Saturday, October 6, 1–5 p.m.
Illustrated lectures by noted scholars

What: George Bellows

When: Now through October 8, 2012, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building, Washington, D.C., between 3rd and 9th streets at Constitution Avenue, NW

How much:  No charge

For more information: 202-737-4215  or www.nga.gov.

Metro stations: Judiciary Square, Navy Memorial-Archives, or the Smithsonian

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David Mamet's 'November' is a June hit in Arlington

Dominion Stage's November now playing at Arlington's Theatre on the Run made me realize why I adore community theatre.


It was thoroughly delightful (if you've got a hardened ear), funny, entertaining, and that's why we go, isn't it? Oh, and to ponder all the questions the content may summon. This script is all too real, and full of hilarious (for the most part) one-liners.

The president of the United States is running for re-election which means cash, and lots of it, is necessary to save his seat in the upcoming election only days away, and, by the way, fund his presidential library in case he should lose.

Throughout the play "President Charles Smith" (Dave Wright) banters with his attorney (James Senavitis) whose major role is to calm the testy, emotional president, and to answer the constantly ringing telephones. (A major feat, to answer approximately 1,000 calls on one of three (or four?) phones in the Oval Office. No one missed a beat. T. J. and Jessi Keiter, the directors, Kevin DeMine (sound) and Marcia Carpentier (properties) are to be commended.)

Wright is absolutely marvelous and delivers a performance worthy of a Helen Hayes nomination. The other characters, particularly Aimee Meher-Homji, the "president's" speechwriter, and Gary Cramer, a turkey dressed as a mouse who is a turkey lobbyist, are exceptional. Both of these individuals have their own platforms and want the president's attention, if you please. Can they help him get re-elected? That's all that matters, or is it? It's all about me-me-me-me-me, Mamet.

The first and second acts begin to roll, gathering steam and commotion to launch the third act which zooms right outa here, and the prez comes around as more of a person with a heart, after all. (Missing from some politicians.)

The dialogue is so quick and punchy, one hardly has time to notice the set decoration, elaborate for a small theatre and put together for the most part by David M. Moretti, the president of Dominion's board, in charge of "set dressing" for this production.

Although David Mamet wrote the play in late 2007 (and it's not a typical Mamet drama, he, the author of Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow), the issues remain the same from election to election, big, small, and in-between: It's all about the money, honey.  (Of course.)

The language is coarse with plentiful f-bombs, but really, their droppings have become so commonplace and monotonous not only in this production, but everywhere, they could float off a turkey's back. (Sorry.)

If you haven't been to TOTR, let not the area's industrial setting intimidate you. The TOTR sign is not directly on Four Mile Run, but sits about a half block away, perpendicular to the street. Parking is available around back and well lighted. Arlington's Cultural Affairs Division, a sponsor and occupant of the building, manages the facility which is a nice surprise inside, and during the single intermission, guests may view the art exhibit in the lobby area (and buy pieces and a few treats, too, of course.) Enjoy!

What: November

Duration:  Less than two hours

When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday nights, now through June 16

Where: Dominion Stage at Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four Mile Run, Arlington 22206

How much: $20.00 at the door or save $2 by ordering tickets ahead online

For more information: 571-DS-Shows or info@dominionstage.org or box-office@dominionstage.org

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Titanic exhibit is free this weekend at National Geographic

The RMS Titanic on April 11, 1912, in Cobh Harbour/Wikimedia Commons and Cobh Heritage Center

The cost of adult admission is usually $8, but this weekend at the National Geographic Museum, there will be no charge to see the Titanic and the Samurai Warrior exhibitions which both close July 8.  (Update:  The Titanic exhibit closes September 9, 2012.)

NG Studio

National Geographic is part of the Dupont Kalorama Museums Corsortium's annual walking tour when other "off the Mall" museums will have "free days" this weekend, too.  (Some always have "free days.")

This is the first year for National Geographic to participate, and a spokesperson said 100 persons will be admitted every 30 minutes to the Titanic exhibition.  (There will be a $5 charge for adults and $2 fee for children to see Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard to be screened Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.  Ballard is the "explorer-in-residence who discovered the sunken Titanic in 1985.)


Visiting all the museums would normally would cost $43.

Participating are Anderson House, home of the Society of the Cincinnati, the Woodrow Wilson House where admission is usually $10, the Textile Museum ($8), the Phillips Collection where Jasper Johns and Antony Gormley exhibitions open Saturday ($12), Dumbarton House, a “federal period historic house museum” in Georgetown ($5), Fondo del Sol Visual Art Center, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, and the National Museum of American Jewish Military History (not open Saturday).

Also, the area's Firehook Bakery, Teaism, and Looped Yarn Works will have discounts this weekend upon presentation of the Walk Weekend brochure, available at any of the locations.

What:  Dupont Kalorama Museums Annual Walk

When:  June 2 and 3, 10 a.m. until 4, 5, or 6 p.m. (Check this link for closing times.) 

Where:  Here's a map, alas without National Geographic which is located at the corner of 17th and M streets, NW.  (See link below.)

How much:  No charge

Metro station:  Dupont or Farragut North or West

For more information: DKMuseums@gmail.com or 202-857-7588 for National Geographic

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Free trombone concert at St. John's, Lafayette Square June 6

Weston Sprott

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra trombonist Weston Sprott will present a recital featuring works by Liszt, Guilmant, Holst, and Eben at St. John's Church, Lafayette Square beginning at 12:10 p.m. June 6.  

Sprott, the second trombonist for the Metropolitan Orchestra, formerly was principal trombonist for the Pennsylvania Ballet and Delaware Symphony orchestras.  He has performed around the world, including concerts with the Atlanta Symphony, the Oslo Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and at Tanglewood, Spoleto, and Helsinki festivals. He teaches at Julliard's Music Advancement Program and other institutions.

St. John's organist Michael Lodico will accompany Sprott in the performance scheduled to last about 30 minutes, perfect for a lunchtime break and refresher. 

St. John's, "the church of the presidents," is located at the corner of H and 16th streets, NW.

St. John's, Lafayette Square /Patricia Leslie

Who:  Weston Sprott, trombonist

When: 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, June 6

Where:  St. John's Episcopal Church, 1525 H Street, NW

Admission:  No charge

Metro station:  McPherson Square (Vermont Avenue/White House exit)

For more information: 202-347-8766

Weston Sprott

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