I am a few days late after May (June is now bustin’ out all over), but it was a nice balanced month of the final operas of the season and rounding out Tony nominated shows. I was able to take in some of the summer blockbuster exhibitions for the first time and I am expecting a few repeat visits. I was pleasantly surprised with Superfine, the new fashion show at The Met. The curatorial thesis is one of the strongest I have experienced in quite a long time. And it is always a joy to view any work of Hilma af Klint. I also saw the new Frick, which is pleasant as ever. We will see which exhibits rise to the top during the summer months.
OPERA
Salome at The Met Opera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A fever dream of lust and power. The staging leaned Victorian maximalist with black silks, the best projections I have ever seen, and a chilling stage shift into a prison cell. It was a haunting night at the opera.
Antony and Cleopatra at The Met ⭐️⭐️
I have trouble with any opera sung in English. It was great to see John Adams conduct his own work. The staging and costumes were grand and golden. It was was two messy Shakespearean characters unfolding on stage. The chemistry simmered between the two leads, never boiled. The visual opulence (those robes!) did most of the heavy lifting.
ART
Superfine at The Met Museum ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Subversive, stylish, and smart. Go and see it if you are in New York this summer. Another separate essay is brooding that highlights three historical objects with three contemporary fashion items. I was able to greet Monica L Miller at the grand staircase the day I saw the exhibit in Preview. I recognized her from her YouTube vids speaking to the exhibition. I thanked her for her scholarship and stewarding the exhibit. It is always fun to thank the people behind the exhibits that we enjoy. The conversations in the galleries are apparent, clear, and nuanced. It is quite a feat for any art exhibition, particularly for a fashion show. The exhibit is by far my favorite of the fashion exhibits The Met has done in recent memory.
The Met Museum’s New Wing Preview⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clean lines, big promises for the new Africa, Americas, and Oceania wing at The Met. The future of the museum is being drafted — and this feels like the blueprint for a new institutional voice. The new stories and contextualization of the objects are fresh. I am curious to see how rotations will help keep this wing in dialogue with the rest of the institution. It was quite a hole for five years and I am very happy it is back in such a beautiful and approachable way.
Salman Toor WishMaker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My favorite contemporary painter, Salman Toor.
Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers at MoMA ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A revelation as always. Spiritual abstraction rendered with botanical precision. This exhibit at MoMA felt like standing at the opening a new portal to nature. One of the best shows of the year.
THEATER
Bus Stop at Classic Stage Company ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love William Inge’s writing. Simple, direct, and Midwestern. I started reading his work while I lived in Kansas. My landlord actually told me what I consider a myth, that William had actually stayed in the carriage house that I was renting in Lawrence for some time, so I now think I have some mythical connection to William through my queerness in Kansas. I know it is a stretch, but I did start writing in the carriage house during the pandemic, so stranger things could occur. Gentle and claustrophobic at once. Strong ensemble work by an entirely Asian -American cast. I have never seen a production of Bus Stop, so I don’t necessarily know if the re-casting hit harder than an all white cast per se. The performances were precise and each actor embodied Inge’s thoughtful characters. I was so glad to see a staging of his work and seemed as timely as it was when it was first written over 50 years ago.
John Proctor is the Villain ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sharp and timely. Think The Crucible meets Gen Z. High school desks, cancel culture, and an ending that hits harder than you expect. What was your favorite song from high school?
Here is to June. Coming down the pipeline for me includes Bowl EP, going up again this Saturday at Westside Comedy Club, swimming the Hudson River, and PRIDE. Seems like Pride might be more important than ever.
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