Culture Shock!

Most cities in the United States of America have some artistic outlet where an individual can hear live music, see a show, or watch a performance. Many cities actually have multiple entertainment venues. The difference between the rest of those cities and New York City, is that NYC is simply bigger and better in almost every way imaginable.

In the past three weeks, I have been exposed to an abundance of artistic culture that many people don't have the opportunity to see in a lifetime. Not only is it readily available, it is top-quality, world-renowned talent... Again, only in New York.

As you may know, shortly after I arrived in the city, I got a student ticket for the new musical Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. While my opinion of the show as a whole may be low, I don't know that I've ever seen such incredible special effects on a live stage. While the music quality is questionable and the book is weak, there is no denying the aesthetic pleasure of this Broadway show (FINALLY we can actually call it a Broadway show... good grief that was a long run of previews).


A few weeks ago, my mom's cousin and her husband were in New York for a business trip, and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a morning of art. That place is a massive maze of beauty. Had we had more than a few hours to pick our favorite exhibits before meeting Doug for lunch, we might have gotten lost among the modern, contemporary, African, Renaissance, and hundreds of other rooms filled with priceless masterpieces. We had to choose carefully, and I think for the amount of time we had, we made wonderful choices.
We started on the rooftop garden, covered in sculptures and overlooking the Manhattan skyline and central park.We then made our way downstairs to a night-photography exhibit where I got to practice my chiaroscuro identification (thank you Art 100 at UM). We actually then stumbled upon the Alexander McQueen Exhibition.
GASP!
Good gracious. I'd never really viewed fashion as art until we went in. It was bizarre and beautiful and powerful. If you've been living under a rock and have never heard of Alexander McQueen, please, for your own sake, look up his designs or watch bits of his fashion shows on youtube. His work is just unreal.
We passed through some modern art on our way to see the masterpieces of Monet, Degas, Picasso, Van Gogh, and other artists that my wonderful mother introduced me to at a very early age. It's just incredible to see, firsthand, artwork that you've read about for years. That's the best way I can think to describe it: incredible.

Side note, I didn't realize until the other day how often I use the word "incredible," so as of right now, that's the most important word in my vocabulary. That should help emphasize how much I appreciated it.

On the same day I got to experience the MET, I won tickets to Shakespeare in the Park's production of Measure for Measure. For those who don't know, the Public Theatre has been hosting free performances for the public for years at the Delacorte Theatre in the middle of Central Park. The Delacorte is a large, open, outdoor theatre that backs up to a small pond/lake in front of a miniature castle-esque building. I have a confession to make. I don't understand Shakespeare unless I read the synopsis, but fortunately there was a synopsis printed in the program, and the show was beautiful! I mean WOW there were some talented performers on that stage, and it was FREE!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to see Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit in the new musical Catch Me if You Can. Aaron Tveit's voice is pure deliciousness, yes, but Norbert Leo Butz absolutely stole the show. There are a lot of talented people in the world, but there are very few who can truly caputure an audience the way he did. I literally did not want to watch anything or anyone but him - not in a distracting way. He never really upstaged anyone. He wasn't over-the-top. He was simply captivating. The essence of stage presence. It is a rare treat to see that kind of performance live.

On Saturday night, I was invited to the American Ballet Theatre's performance of Copellia at the MET in Lincoln Center. If the ballet had been lame, it wouldn't have mattered. The opera house was phenomenal! The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were exquisite, massive, and just plain sparkly. The gold walls and ceiling only made the lush red chairs and carpet seem that much more elegant.There were patrons in the audience with fur stoles. The whole atmosphere was exhilarating. Then, the lighthearted ballet was just breath-taking, fun, and, well, incredible.The standing ovation at the end lasted at least fifteen minutes. I've never applauded that long in my entire life. The prima ballerina ended up with so many bouquets of flowers that she had to set them on the stage. What a night!

Finally, last night I attended the Broadway Inspirational Voices concert: Wondrous Grace. The BIV is a choir of diverse Broadway performers who perform gospel and praise songs across the city to raise money and awareness for different philanthropic causes. The concert was hosted by Central Presbyterian Church- my "home away from home church." The president of the choir, Phylicia Rashad was among the powerful voices performing last night. The music was fantastic, don't get me wrong, but the coolest part of the night for me was that Phylicia (Clair Huxtable from The Cosby Show) was singing in the EXACT SAME SPOT that I stood to sing earlier that morning as a part of Central's choir. Clair Huxtable was singing in my church!!! OH I loved it! And again, the music was ridiculously powerful.

Three weeks... whew, it's been crazy! And as expensive as everything is here, I didn't have to pay more than $30 for any of these performances! Most were actually less. Granted, for a college student paying rent for the first time, 30 is still a decent amount of money, but each of these experiences was worth every penny and so much more!

That being said, I don't have to be the only one experiencing art this summer. Like I said, every city has SOME kind of wonderful performance just waiting for you. So, get out and go see a show, visit a museum, or listen to a concert! Support the arts, because art is beauty, and everyone needs a little beauty in his or her life.

Grace be with you,
Lindsey Shea