Joisey Review: Harvey starring Jim Parsons

As many of you are aware, I am a fan of the television show The Big Bang Theory. I watch the marathons, have the DVDs, bought merchandise, you name it. My favorite character on the show is Dr. Sheldon Cooper played by actor Jim Parsons. Now last year he debuted on Broadway with the play The Normal Heart but by the time I found out about it, tickets were sold out all through the run. So when I heard that he was returning to Broadway this summer to be a production of a play called Harvey -- I patiently waited online until tickets went on sale and got myself a preview ticket for Sunday May 27th, 2012. The play does not officially open until Thursday June 14th but the benefit of the preview tickets is you get to see kind of a dress rehearsal. This is the time period where the actors have to get their lines right, their cues right, their mannerisms right, basically everything right. I figured what the heck -- a preview of a play where I do not have to deal with the possibility of a large crowd on a Sunday afternoon, works for me.

So what is Harvey about? Harvey is a six-foot-tall rabbit invisible to everyone except Elwood, much to the exasperation of his sister, Veta. In order to save the family’s social reputation, Veta takes Elwood to the local sanatorium. But when the doctors mistakenly commit his anxiety-ridden sister, Elwood—and Harvey—slip out of the hospital unbothered, setting off a hilarious whirlwind of confusion and chaos as everyone in town tries to catch a man and his invisible rabbit. In my opinion, it kind of sounds like Donnie Darko, just without all of the Jake Gyllenhall angst. I did enjoy the movie so the synopsis kind of appeals to me. Harvey is written by Mary Chase and directed by Scott Ellis.

Walking into the lobby of Studio 54 I was met with a variety of fans -- young, old, and we were all there for one reason only. Now most of the audience knew of the movie version with Jimmy Stewart which I will admit I have not seen but heard about it through my mother. Jim Parsons as well as not watched the movie version as he said he did not want to be influenced; he wanted to make the role his own. He most certainly did. A lot of the lines would be considered Sheldon-esque which I will not spoil if you plan on going to the play. The play is hysterically done and the chemistry between Jim Parsons and Jessica Hecht is spot on.

If there is one Broadway play you plan on seeing this summer, I highly recommended Harvey. It is in previews right now until June 14th which is the date of opening night. It lasts until August 5th. It is playing at STUDIO 54 whose address is 254 West 54th Street in NYC.

Joisey Review: The New Museum

While on a brisk walk to the Bowery Mission to donate some coats that I know I would not need, I decided to pay a trip to the New Museum which is located at 235 Bowery. This is their current exhibition: “Carsten Höller: Experience” is the most comprehensive US exhibition to date of the artist’s engaging work. The current show gathers together a number of the artist’s signature works in an arrangement that transforms the viewer’s experience of time and space. Originally trained as a scientist, Höller is frequently inspired by research and experiments from scientific history and deploys these studies in works that alter the audience’s physical and psychological sensations, inspiring doubt and uncertainty about the world around them. His work often draws on social spaces outside of the museum such as the amusement park, zoo, or playground, but the experiences they provide are always far from our usual expectations of these activities. Höller’s art takes the form of proposals for radical, new ways of living by creating sculptures and diagrams for visionary architecture as well as transportation alternatives, such as his renowned slide installations. These concepts may seem impossible in the present day, but suggest new models for the future.

Each floor of the exhibition explores a different general theme within Höller’s work to provide a carefully choreographed journey through the building and the artist’s oeuvre. The fourth floor focuses on the theme of movement—featuring the artist’s spectacular Mirror Carousel (2005), which provides riders with a notably different physical experience than the traditional fairground merry-go-round, while at the same time reflecting and illuminating the space surrounding it. The third floor gathers together works that seek to provide an altered or utopian experience of architectural space. For example, his Giant Psycho Tank (2000) invites viewers to float weightlessly in the water of a sensory deprivation pool, providing a tenebrous, out-of-body experience.

Over the years, the artist has employed psychotropic drugs, flashing lights, and other stimuli to potentially alter the viewer’s mental state. His new site-specific installation on the second floor, Double Light Corner, flickers back and forth on a central axis, creating an immersive, hallucinatory experience. The work is paired with a recreation of Höller’s Experience Corridor in which the viewer is given the choice to undertake a number of self-experiments. The sculptures, Giant Triple Mushrooms (2010), icons of the kind of personal exploratory journey that his work has always centered on, will also be on view. Taken as a whole, Höller’s work is an invitation to re-imagine the way in which we move through the world and the relationships we build as he asks us to reconsider what we think we know about ourselves.

The exhibition is organized by Massimiliano Gioni, Associate Director and Director of Exhibitions, with Gary Carrion-Murayari, Associate Curator and Jenny Moore, Assistant Curator. (Source: www.newmuseum.org)

This exhibit has gardenered much press lately from Time Out New York magazine all the way to Interview magazine and one question that pops in my head is WHY??? This exhibit is a great big come-on with the main attraction a slide that you can do for free at a playground. Also what they do not tell you is the Giant Psycho Tank, which essentially is a jacuzzi tub with Epsom salt, is either a naked or a bathing suit activity for only about 10-15 minutes. So if you were like me just roaming one of your favorite neighbourhoods in NYC and are kind of reserve with being naked in front of strangers, then this is not for you. But maybe that is the point of this exhibit -- to get you to think outside of your comfort level. I truly do not have an idea and I did not need to spend $12 dollars to have that reaction. If you are a fan of avant-garde art, then please go and enjoy. This exhibit is there until January 15, 2012. For myself, it was a waste of time. Then again, I would not have known that without at least going in.

Pure Sheenius -- My Take on Charlie Sheens' Show at Radio City Music Hall

Something was going on tonight that I have waited six weeks for...no not the next coming of Sting...I am talking about...

CHARLIE SHEEN: VIOLENT TORPEDO OF TRUTH tour at Radio City Music Hall in NYC!

When he announced via his Twitter page that he was developing a stage show and then the first two shows were booked (Detroit and Chicago) I immediately posted on my Facebook advertising it and proclaiming the words "HE BETTER TAKE HIS SHOW TO NYC!"

Well I guess I was not the only one to proclaim those words because taking his show to NYC happened.



I arrived at Radio City about 630pm and was inside the building about 705pm. There was hardly anyone in the seats then all of the sudden BAM the building filled up. According to the ticket, he was supposed to hit the stage at 8pm...instead he hit the stage at 830pm. Okay 30 minutes late...but then again name a concert or event in NYC that starts on time.

He had this sidekick/interviewer with him and the stage show simply was an extended question and answer session. Charlie tried to tell stories about his various hotel escapades, Denise Richards, where the term Goddess came from, and so on. There was only one problem with this entire thing....THE AUDIENCE.

The audience would not shut up. Who was heckling...who was booing. Who was shouting WINNING or TOPLESS over and over. Who was constantly bitching and complaining next to me and no I am not talking about David.

Charlie stayed on the stage until 930pm. The house lights came up and that was that.



Now this is where my review comes in -- I am a Charlie Sheen fan. I have enjoyed all of his work from Ferris Buellers Day Off to Major League to Two and A Half Men. The man is a talented ACTOR. That is it. What are these audiences expecting? Do they expect Two and Half Men on stage? Do they expect the next coming of George Carlin (RIP)? I honestly have no idea. I think that if the audience would shut up and stop trying to get themselves over, then maybe they would enjoy the show. You spent the money to see CHARLIE SHEEN not CHARLIE HARPER or any of the other roles that he has portrayed. As Eric Bischoff has rightfully stated over and over CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH.Charlie has learned the fine art of social networking and marketing and because of the debacle that happened in Detroit, apparently it is the "cool" thing to bash Charlie Sheen and boo him out of the building. Well guess what folks? THAT DOES NOT WORK. Publicity is Publicity whether it is good or bad. Yes Charlie Sheen is an arrogant prick with a train wreck lifestyle but again what are you expecting? The man is a sheer genius. He marketed his show well. He advertised. He got social networking sites involved. Yes the ticket was pricey, do not get me wrong but guess what -- PEOPLE PAID. Then you have his merchandise at the show which people bought as well as on his website. If you want him to go away, DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO HIM. Do not go outside of Radio City or any of the venues and try to get yourself over as a Charlie Sheen hater. Another line from a fellow wrestler April Hunter -- Don't Hate, Appreciate. You spent your hard earned money on him. If you truly do not like the show, there is the door. But again in this day and age you should have an open mind.



When I went to the show tonight I went to see Charlie Sheen. If I want to see any of his amazing work as an actor, I just have to turn on Channel 11 or FX or pop in a DVD. Was the stories he shared kind of dull? Not going to lie yes but he added some controversial quips here and there that did liven them up.

If you do decide to attend one of his shows, please remember this -- you are seeing CHARLIE SHEEN not one of his works on stage.