Crazytown

WHY I LOVE VINE

How creative can you be in 6 seconds?
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

Though I am a firm believer in the digital revolution and our need to adapt to these changing times, I will admit that sometimes it seems like social media is out of control. There are new platforms popping up everyday-- and the truth of the matter is, even as someone who loves the idea of marketing and being a part of a social (albeit digital) community, I'm a strong believer that not everyone needs to be on every big social media platform.

 

Maybe this is why I was so resistant to Vine, the video-driven social media platform that allows people to post 6-second videos to a personal feed (and Facebook and Twitter). Basically, it's a video version of Twitter.

Okay, but wait! Hold your Liz Lemon eyeroll for just one moment. Because while I once shared in your skepticism, I now have to admit that I am a true believer. I am a Vine convert.

Why do I love Vine? Let me count the ways:

STREAM THIS: HER MASTER'S VOICE

Nina Conti's revisionist documentary about a puppet pilgrimage is strange, deceptively simple, and ultimately devastating as it reveals the madness behind art, life, and love.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

As I've probably mentioned before, one of my favorite discussions of art and creation on Crazytown was B.T. Ryback's rumination on writing based on "what the author knows" and whether or not autobiography is where an artist should draw inspiration. While I certainly believe that as creators that we need to continue to push ourselves and reach outside of our experiences for new, compelling stories, I also have to admit that I personally have a fondness and fascination with artists who are not only willing to dig deep into their well of personal experiences for inspiration, but are also willing to attach their name to the final product. Going beyond simple storytelling, a lot of amazing artists have elevated their experiences to art, bringing into question what it means too retell history and how people can transform their experiences for the sake of an audience.

A particularly potent example of art-as-autobiography that I had the pleasure of experiencing recently was ventriloquist Nina Conti's docu-mockumentary, Her Master's Voice. An accomplished performer usually accompanied by Monkey, her crude counterpart, Nina Conti herself is an affable woman who will be the first to admit that ventriloquism is not everyone's idea of a good time. However, through her accomplished mentor and once-lover, Ken Campbell, Nina found ways of elevating puppetry and ventriloquism to an art form, one she executes quite entertainingly, as you can see from the following clip:

 

KIM & ERIN EAT CHEESECAKE (AND TALK ABOUT "BUYER & CELLAR")

The lastest episode of our podcast where we discuss a new piece of theatre over a slice of cheesecake.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger) with Erin Salvi

Yes, we have a new podcast for you guys to check out. But first things first: are you aware that Barbra Streisand has a mall in the basement of her dream mansion?? Like a whole street of Victorian shops of antiques, sweets, costumes, and ribbons on display-- all owned by the Funny Girl herself, but displayed as though it were a fancy promenade. If your mind is as blown as mine was when I found out this information, you'll need photographic evidence, and have no fear for there is a lot of it.

And as much as I wish I was bringing up Babs's mini mall just for funsies, it is also the genesis of the play we covered for our latest podcast. Buyer & Cellar, currently playing at The Rattlestick, imagines how things would shake out if our favorite Yentl hired someone to man her private playground through a one-man show starring the talented and wonderfully coiffed Michael Urie. We holed up at Bosie Tea Parlor to discuss this intriguing and hilarious play (and eat free pastries)! Click on the player above to find out more about Buyer & Cellar, our takes on Barbra, and whether or not the mall has a frozen yogurt station. We know inquiring minds want to know! (Warning: this podcast will contain spoilers)

*Also, since this recording, the run of this show has been extended until May 12-- get on it!

KIMBERLY LEW is a playwright with two published one-act plays for high schools, as well as full-length Searching for Candi (co-written with Gabriella Miyares), which debuted at Mt. Holyoke college. Her latest play, Other People's Children, was recently featured as a part of The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective's new works reading series and was a semi-finalist for the 2012 O'Neill Playwrights Conference. She also created/manages the Emerging Musical Theatre blog. www.kimberlylew.com
EMAIL HER |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

ERIN SALVI is a Brooklyn-based writer who enjoys theater, drinking copious amounts of coffee, rocking out to David Bowie, and thinking about the space-time continuum. Her writing has been featured in The Expeditioner and My Dog Ate My Blog.
EMAIL HER |  TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

REAL SONGS FROM FAKE MUSICALS

The shows might not be real, but that doesn't mean that they can't create real great songs.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

They say if you introduce a loaded gun in the first act it should be fired in a subsequent act. Well, I say if one of your characters announces they are going to be in/writing/directing/seeing a friend in a new musical, there better be a big original musical number. The zanier, more outlandish, and dramatic, the better. Here are some of my favorite musical numbers from not-real musicals in TV, movies, etc.:

 
"Dr. Zaius" from Planet of the Apes: The Musical in The Simpsons

The Simpsons has a ton of great musical parodies, including Streetcar: The Musical! and a Betty Ford Musical. But, in the words of Bart Simpson, Planet of the Apes: The Musical has it all-- from singing monkeys to a big reveal in the grand finale.

 
"Don't Forget Me" from Bombshell in Smash

Bombshell finally opened, y'all! And while I have to admit that I haven't been exactly keeping up with the show, save for Rachel Shukert's brilliant recaps, I did see this last episode, and I found myself strangely misty-eyed at seeing the show finally on its feet. There are a lot of great moments and songs from drafts upon drafts of Bombshell, and perhaps in the not-so-distant future, this Marilyn Monroe musical will be a real Broadway production. But for now, I'm giving Ivy Lynn some credit for hitting it out of the park this week. Get it, girl. 

MOVE ON

Moving is the worst.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

One day, you may take a look at your New York apartment and think to yourself, I wonder if it's time to move on. Maybe you've enjoyed the memories you've created in your little home, but you'll also wonder what's beyond those walls, whether or not there's something better out there for you. Maybe it's time for an upgrade, you'll think. I wonder if I can find something better. Well, I am here to tell you, dear reader, that you should tell that little voice to shut up and hold on to your current housing with an iron grip.

 

Talk about killing me softly with his song

Moving is an awful experience, no matter where you are or where you are going. It requires meticulous planning, organizational skills, and more boxes and sweaty men to carry them than you've ever wanted or needed. But moving in New York is a special circle of hell plagued with exorbitant rent prices and bathtubs in the kitchen-- Ugly Betty doesn't lie (and I would kill for that amount of floor space). Here are some reasons why moving in New York is the worst:

• Brokers. Sadly, more often than not, you'll need one to gain access to half the apartments you find online. Luckily, the last broker I've had has been good, but prior to that was a parade of pushy salesmen and immature frat boys. One broker even almost got in a fistfight with a tennant before asking my soon-to-be-roommate and me out for drinks... did I mention the apartment he was supposed to show us also had already been rented?

KIM & ERIN EAT CHEESECAKE (AND TALK ABOUT "THE LAST FIVE YEARS")

The lastest episode of our podcast where we discuss a new piece of theatre over a slice of cheesecake.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger) with Erin Salvi

Though it's not a "new" work of theatre, since the Second Stage production is a revival, Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years has become such a cult hit that we couldn't pass up the opportunity to cover for the podcast (not to mention see a professional production for the first time ever). Greg already wrote an awesome blog post about his experience seeing the show, and we talked abou the iconic-ness of the show in our latest blog for the podcast. Seeing this version of the show, starring Betsy Wolfe and Adam Kantor and directed by JRB himself, was an opportunity to see a show we had come to love done the way it had always been intended.

So how did the show on the stage compare to the shows in our heads? Can an old show still surprise you? And how delicious is the cheesecake at Junior's? (Okay, we all know the answer to that last one: very!) Click on the episode above to find out. (Warning: this podcast will contain spoilers)

KIMBERLY LEW is a playwright with two published one-act plays for high schools, as well as full-length Searching for Candi (co-written with Gabriella Miyares), which debuted at Mt. Holyoke college. Her latest play, Other People's Children, was recently featured as a part of The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective's new works reading series and was a semi-finalist for the 2012 O'Neill Playwrights Conference. She also created/manages the Emerging Musical Theatre blog. www.kimberlylew.com
EMAIL HER |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

ERIN SALVI is a Brooklyn-based writer who enjoys theater, drinking copious amounts of coffee, rocking out to David Bowie, and thinking about the space-time continuum. Her writing has been featured in The Expeditioner and My Dog Ate My Blog.
EMAIL HER |  TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

BEING ALONE

Enjoying a little 'me' time.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Writer)

One evening a few years ago, I ducked into one of my favorite Thai restaurants between shifts at my two jobs. I got my own table and ordered my usual-- but the waiter, before departing, had a question for me. "You're by yourself?" he asked. "You don't have any friends?"

 

I laughed, but the question put me off. Long after the fact, I wondered what the most appropriate response would have been. I wondered how the waiter would have reacted had I burst out crying, had he hit a nerve where I, in fact, had no friends. I also wondered if there was any way of answering the question directly without sounding like someone who is trying too hard to justify why she's alone. I wondered why it mattered to him, and why he felt it necessary to point it out to me.

I like doing things by myself. Growing up, I was much more of an introvert than I am now, and choosing an evening at home doing my own thing over going out with friends was a common way of spending a Friday night. Now living in a city where I often never feel alone-- strangers pressed up against me on the train, lots of busy friends who you try to keep up with as much as possible, unexpected run-ins on the street-- I relish the few times when I can breathe, reevaluate, and reassure myself that I still enjoy spending time with me.

TELL ME ABOUT IT, TOM HOOPER

A sneak peek at Les Mis on DVD/Blu Ray. Now you can see prostitutes, well-coiffed revolutionaries, and dirt-smudged Hugh Jackman on your small screen!
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

This past winter, you couldn't go on the social medias without seeing someone's opinion of the big budget Les Miserables movie, an adaptation of the popular Broadway/West End musical. I abstained from sharing my thoughts on the movie at the time, though I've made it clear in the past that I'm a huge fan of the musical, which was one of the first big professional productions of a show I'd ever seen and have been captivated by ever since. In a nutshell, seeing Les Mis on film was a mixed experience for me-- it was an adaptation that, as a fan of the stage show, I never asked for or necessarily wanted, but I was curious nonetheless (and even detractors of the movie have to admit it had a damn good trailer).

Some things worked really well: I thought Anne Hathaway was electric almost every second she had screen time, I felt completely justified in my admiration of Eddie Redmayne as an actor and was (surprisingly) not trying to mentally replace him with a young Michael Ball, the live singing did feel very special and made for some good moments that would not have been able to happen onstage, and I thought some of the rearranging of musical numbers and scenes helped build the story in a more dramatically sound way. Some things that were a little more problematic for me was the isolation of the characters with the closeups and handheld cameras, the thinness of some of the actors' voices, and the pacing that made the usually thrilling second half seem to plod on a little too long.

The DVD and Blu-Ray of the movie comes out this Friday, but I was given the opportunity to revisit the film with an advance screener. Rather than rehash my feelings on the movie, I thought it would be more helpful to talk a little about the film's extras and how Les Mis holds up on the small screen.

A HUNK O' BURNING LOVE

America's best fake reality dating show.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

When it comes to original film content on the web, it seems like everyone is getting in the game. Hulu has a host of original shows coming out this year, and Netflix already made a splash with its American version of House of Cards (and the much anticipated new season of Arrested Development on the way). Amazon has started Amazon Studios, and Yahoo! Screen hopes to serve a similar purpose in providing original web content. Just because you might have discontinued your Yahoo email account, don't count the latter out-- because Yahoo! Screen is the host of my favorite new webseries (and boy, is it star-studded): Burning Love.

Even as someone who couldn't be less interested in shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, I'm glad this parody series finally gives the ridiculous drama of those shows a comedic payoff. Starring alums from shows like Children's Hospital, Party Down, and Apatow faves, each season (with the show now in its second) features one bachelor/ette looking for love in a pool of insane people. From a strictly religious vet assistant (Kristen Bell) to a boy with severe food allergies (Michael Cera), these contestants are only as crazy as their real life inspirations. Also, Michael Ian Black as the host? Brilliant. The first season is currently airing on E!, and the second season is available online. Watch the limo introductions for season two below to see some of the amazingness:

 

KIMBERLY LEW is a playwright with two published one-act plays for high schools, as well as full-length Searching for Candi (co-written with Gabriella Miyares), which debuted at Mt. Holyoke college. Her latest play, Other People's Children, was recently featured as a part of The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective's new works reading series and was a semi-finalist for the 2012 O'Neill Playwrights Conference and Ashland New Play Festival. She also created/manages the Emerging Musical Theatre blog. www.kimberlylew.com
EMAIL HER |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

THE CASH FOR CREATIVITY CONUNDRUM

Perhaps the old adage is true that you get what you pay for, but it sure would be nice if people could pay for what they got.
By Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)

One of my favorite websites, Humans of New York, made headlines last week. Unfortunately, it was less about the beautiful moments that photographer Brandon Stanton captures and instead about how DKNY used his photos in a window display in China, despite the fact that Brandon had declined their offer to use his photography in their marketing. It was a clear infringement on his intellectual property, and Brandon turned lemons into lemonade by simply asking for a donation to a Brooklyn YMCA and raising over $100,000 for the organization through his followers alone.

The lines with the Humans of New York incident seem, at least on the surface, somewhat black and white. A big corporation vs. a single person. A philanthropic request put forth over litigation for personal financial gain. Legally, there are still a lot of grey areas, but in this case, it wasn't hard to side with Brandon in trying to stand up to The Man, demanding credit where credit is due, and attempting to turn a bad situation into a positive one for the community.

But the truth is that compensating artists for their work has always been an uphill battle. Sometimes it's a struggle with a major publication to get payment for a contribution. But it's not just big corporations that don't pay for content. Sometimes it's a small, struggling theatre group or a bunch of students-- most times, it's the people who the artists connect with and want to reach most.

The internet is a fantastic invention because it allows unknown artists to find an instant platform. Naturally, there is a lot more competition, but in the age of Bieber, the internet allows everyone the chance to have their voices heard and to connect with potential fans and followers. The big problem for artists (particularly ones who get their start on the web) is conversion. Just because people 'Follow' and 'View' and 'Like,' doesn't necessarily mean people will be willing to pay when that content is not free. While there can be great debate about what is worthy of money and what should be art for art's sake, the bottom line is that if an artist is not able to sustain him/herself, making that art becomes harder, if not impossible.