Oh! Burlesque

There is a fine line between sexy and smutty. And so while I have a hard time with strippers, I adore burlesque. Perhaps it’s all the feathers, glitter, and bling. Or perhaps its the music. No matter, I am a fan of burlesque because it requires the performers to have a sophisticated persona and be […]

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Colombia!

True story – I insulted the Colombian singer Carlos Vives and didn’t even realize it. When I first moved to Miami – like day 3 – GAD and I were taking Lolita out for a walk and there was a man singing behind us. GAD said to me, “that’s Carlos Vives behind us.” I was […]

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Come Fly Away & Twyla Tharp — the best birthday present ever

Two years ago I was treated to the most amazing birthday present — a completely decadent night on the town in NYC. Early evening cocktails? Algonquin Hotel. Dinner? Chez Josephine. Theatre? Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away on Broadway. After-theatre drinks? Bubble Lounge. Is this not a day in heaven? This year my birthday will not […]

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Looking for meaning (and a punch line) in an absurd world: Catastrophic Theatre’s Endgame

Catastrophic Theatre’s “Endgame”by Samuel Beckett has been a near sell out. Yes, there are people on waiting lists to see this show. How awesome is this? Unless you’re Samuel Beckett and the world is meaningless and so is fame, fortune, and notoriety. But I am not Samuel Beckett and so I am happy for Catastrophic […]

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A little sing-talk in the your step: HGO’s Rape of Lucretia

When I leave the opera, I usually have one of the following reactions: so glad that it’s over because I need to stretch my legs and pump caffeine into my system, melancholic over lost, thwarted love, disconcerted by rampant misogyny,  or the need to talk-sing full gust while concurrently jumping into the air down a […]

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Why does Tuberculosis make such good music? A deconstruction of La Boheme

In honor of my on-going, dramatic,  hacking cough that makes me sound more like a dying opera character than a girl who is ready to go salsa dancing at a moment’s  notice, I offer  you a round about of Puccini’s La Boheme, whose Mimi dies of TB in one of  the world’s most popular operas. […]

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The real Gaga in Austin soon: Batsheva Dance Company

As trite as it sounds, so much of life is about dance — the hard work, the memorization, trusting people, negotiating, getting hurt, small moments of applause. One of the most powerful dance performances I ever saw was the Batsheva Dance Company at Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2009 with GAD and DC. The dancers were incredible.  […]

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Forlorn but not weeping: Rachael Yamagata’s Chesapeake

Taking a break from art and my multi-post coverage of the Texas Contemporary Art Fair, wanted to share my current soundtrack, Rachael Yamagata’s “Chesapeake.” I found Rachael about two years ago when iTunes recommended her album “Elephants … Teeth Sinking Into Heart.”  This album is actually a “two in one” and includes a rock and […]

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Thank you for getting your orchestra on: Tori Amos — Night of Hunters

Not to be scary but Tori Amos has been a huge part of my growing up process. Her classical, angst-ridden sensibilities were perfect for my tragic-ballerina adolescence. Little Earthquakes taught my best friend and me how to speak up. Under the Pink made me aware that my singular voice was situated within a vaster context. Boys for Pele demanded that […]

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