6 Things to Do at Home This Weekend
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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/arts/things-to-do-weekend-coronavirus.html Version 0 of 1. Dance The death of a black man, uprisings in the streets: Dance Theater of Harlem was born in a moment like this. It was the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and the ensuing anger and despair, that incited the African-American ballet star Arthur Mitchell to create the company. It was a mission of hope. To those who had been told they couldn’t dance ballet, he said, “You can.” But as the troupe inaugurates DTH on Demand, a digital platform combining archival performances with classes and interviews, it begins by looking back to a different moment in history, a glory-days high point: “Creole Giselle.” When the production debuted in 1984, it was the company’s first full-length classical ballet. Mitchell had the idea of preserving the story and music of “Giselle” but transposing that 19th-century French ballet to the Spanish moss and bayous of Louisiana and its community of free blacks. Different sets and costumes, same steps. That old-fashioned fidelity is the most moving aspect of the performance that will stream over the company’s YouTube channel and Facebook page on Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Filmed in Denmark and broadcast on NBC in 1987, it shines with a sense of dignity and discipline, of love and pride, in every detail and every member of an exemplary cast led by Virginia Johnson, the company’s current artistic director. This inspirational history lesson in the form of gorgeous dancing is a gift and, in these times, a balm.BRIAN SEIBERT Pop & rock This year’s crop of high school and college graduates is celebrating its achievements with less pomp and circumstance than it might have hoped for. Though the mortarboards may never see the light of day, a multitude of virtual celebrations have been organized to compensate for the lack of in-person ceremonies. YouTube’s contribution is “Dear Class of 2020,” a marathon livestream event with an all-star lineup led by Barack and Michelle Obama. Joining the former president and first lady as keynote speakers are some of pop’s titans: Lady Gaga, fresh off the release of her new album, “Chromatica”; the K-pop phenomenon BTS; and Beyoncé. Gaga will do double duty, performing as well as speaking, and though she may not have as much oratory experience as the event’s headliners, her catalog of inspirational anthems suggests a knack for the sort of uplifting assertions required of commencement speakers. BTS is also scheduled to perform, as well as host an after-party. Throughout the livestream, which begins on Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern time and can be accessed through the YouTube Originals channel, look out for Camila Cabello, Maluma, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion and more stars to take the virtual stage.OLIVIA HORN KIDS KidsFilmFest has not just adapted to life in lockdown but has even taken advantage of it. Part of the Brooklyn Film Festival, which runs through Sunday, this international children’s event is divided into separate programs of short works for ages 3 to 7 and 8 to 15. Viewers needn’t worry about screening times; they can just stream the selections free after registering on the festival’s website. One film, the whimsically animated “The Magical Forest and the Things,” was made by Dave Russo, an illustrator, with the help of his domestic partner’s daughter (she is now 7) to allay the boredom caused by pandemic-related school closings. Other animated titles for little ones include Teddy Halkier Kristiansen’s “Hugo & Holger,” about a boy and his elephant, and Allison Brownmoore’s “The Amazing Adventures of Awesome,” which adopts the viewpoint of an autistic girl. Several projects for older children focus on the pressure to fit in. The heroine of Sharon Contillo’s “Curls” hates her hair, and the immigrant boy in Becca Wolff’s “The Statue” struggles with English. “The Butterfly Affect,” by Stephanie Blakey, contemplates a worm’s existence “in a world built for butterflies.” KidsFilmFest, which would normally feature discussions only with filmmakers who could attend, now has many more participating virtually. The website offers videos of group Zoom sessions in which more than a dozen talk about their work.LAUREL GRAEBER Comedy In times of chaos, some may find calm in the euphonious narration of David Attenborough on BBC’s “Planet Earth”; others might turn to Joe Pera, a dulcet-toned stand-up whose soothing voice found a niche within the Adult Swim universe. The Cartoon Network’s late-night programming block gave Pera his first break with two specials in 2016: “Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep” and “Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree.” Adult Swim then rewarded him with two seasons of “Joe Pera Talks With You,” which follows Pera’s delightfully awkward, mild-mannered Michigander character as he shares his thoughts and has hilarious encounters with the people in his town. In late May, another bounty of Pera’s meditative riches appeared on Adult Swim’s YouTube channel: “Relaxing Old Footage With Joe Pera,” which finds the comedian feeding apples to horses, staring into an aquarium, and offering simple recipes and movie reviews over the course of 22 minutes. If that leaves you wanting more, with “TreeTV,” also on YouTube, Pera provides more than five hours of looped arboreal footage with birds chirping and soft instrumental music playing in the background — no voice-over, just trees.SEAN L. McCARTHY Theater Intimate plays translate well to streaming, but scale is an integral part of the Romeo Castellucci show “Inferno”: It’s big and the sound design plays a major part, as both cocoon and assault. Yet the filmed version of his production, available free until June 15 on Vimeo, works remarkably well onscreen, affording a rare opportunity for those in the United States to enjoy the visionary Italian theater maker’s opaque, haunting work. Few have his ability to conjure unforgettable images and soundscapes, starting with a deeply unsettling opening scene in which a man in a padded suit (Castellucci himself) is attacked by dogs. The production was recorded live in July 2008 in the expansive courtyard of the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France. The mammoth Gothic structure was the papacy’s temporary seat in the 14th century, and thus a propitious location for a (very loose) take on Dante’s harrowing tale. As usual, Castellucci shuns narrative to create striking visuals that seesaw between terrifying — at times the show is as close as theater gets to visceral horror — and hauntingly beautiful as they coalesce into a hypnotic pageant. What does it all mean? Your interpretation is as valid as any other.ELISABETH VINCENTELLI Classical Music The American composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton turned 75 on Thursday. The occasion is an ideal time to explore the first half-century of the saxophonist’s output: a geyser of creativity that includes solo and small-ensemble works; big band and orchestral opuses; operas, string quartets and electronic music. But Braxton’s current achievements are also worthy of attention. Released on Thursday on his own label, New Braxton House, “Duo (Improv) 2017” is a boxed set of recordings featuring Braxton and the avant-garde guitarist Eugene Chadbourne. Its eight-plus hours of music (including a bonus track available on the digital release) offer a chance for the players to explore many traditions. During an early portion of the first improvisation, Braxton switches between sopranino, contrabass and alto saxophones. The music he makes with Chadbourne (heard on banjo during this stretch) moves between spare abstraction, countrified stomp and then on to passages of churning yet meditative fluidity. By contrast, the beginning of the fourth improvisation has a patient, mellifluous grace. You can listen to the duo’s seventh improvisation free on New Braxton House’s Bandcamp page. Proceeds from the label help Braxton’s foundation develop future projects, such as editing new editions of his vast catalog of past scores, and working toward an ebook release of his philosophical writings.SETH COLTER WALLS |