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Posts from the ‘Art’ Category

Jan 30

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No: 126: American Musical Theatre LIVE!

source: AMT Live! Paris

source: AMT Live! Paris

Our family life in Paris would not be the same without the joyful, dedicated and exciting organization: American Musical Theatre LIVE! Truly, they have been a lifesaver and creative safe-haven for my two daughters, in a city where this type of artistic expression is only beginning to get a foothold.

Raised by a jolly, crooning father and theatre loving mother, I grew up addicted to American musicals. While most of my peers were crushing on Bobby Sherman and David (and Sean) Cassidy, I was pining for Gene Kelly in his tight sailor jazz pants. Don’t even get me started on Yul Brynner in the King and I. Even today two of my favorite performers are Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris not because I like them in Wolverine and How I Met Your Mother, but because, at heart, they are truly song-and-dance men.

Not surprisingly, I have passed my love of musical theatre on to Kitcat and Button. Before her second birthday, Kitcat  had memorized Madonna’s Evita, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina…really. And, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but by the time they were 8 and 5, they could sing the entire Cell Block Tango from Chicago with all the passion and anger of the original cast. At 10 and 7 they were regularly performing the Elephant Love Song Medley from Moulin Rouge for family and guests. So is it any surprise they are both actively pursuing their dreams of performing on Broadway or the West End?

Thankfully for both of them, but especially Button, we stumbled upon American Musical Theatre LIVE! on our second go-around in Paris. Co-founded by Miranda Crispin and John Florencio, two amazing artists and performers with a passion for American Musical Theatre, AMT LIVE! has been a godsend. They are the place to see contemporary off-Broadway musicals and cabaret concerts in Paris. And if you have the gumption and talent, they offer a musical theatre open mic soirées once a month. They are also available for professional, private coaching.

laurelzuckerman.com

The group’s mission “is to introduce and promote musical theatre, notably contemporary works, and to provide a forum for exchange between French and international performers.” It’s a great mission and one they work extremely hard at accomplishing.

AMT LIVE! regularly hosts talented and highly regarded Artists-in-Residence from around the world. Button has been fortunate enough to participate in several, the most exceptional being a master class with Tony nominated Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Edges, A Christmas Story, the Musical; Dogfight, and James and the Giant Peach, A Musical). She was also cast in AMT LIVE!’s production of Edges in Paris last summer. It was a life changing experience and yet one more thing to love about our time in France.

The Premiere of EDGES in France, AMT Live!

The Premiere of EDGES in France, AMT Live!

Jan 28

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No. 123: Le Jardin des Plantes

Okay. So it’s not quite Martinique, but the glasshouses of le Jardin des Plantes are certainly a warm and wonderful place to spend a cold and cloudy winter day in Paris.

jardin des plantes

…a fern fiddle head à la Doctor Seuss...

…a fern fiddle head à la Doctor Seuss…

Vocabulaire

jardin des plantes: botanical gardens

 

 

Jan 24

12 Comments

No. 120: Chic Bicycle Helmets

Before I moved to Paris, I wore my bicycle helmet religiously. In fact we shipped all our helmets from the U.S. before we arrived. But Parisians are not big on wearing bicycle helmets when they commute to work or run errands, and since living here I have been totally swayed by the herd mentality, and rarely remember to wear mine, unless I’m going for a long weekend ride. There is something about the Vélib bike share program and being able to hop on and off a bike at will that makes me feel footloose and fancy free, and think, hey, I don’t need safety equipment.

I realize this is completely STUPID. And actually everyday when I hop on my vélo, I have the same passing thought, “I wonder if this is the day you will regret forever not wearing a helmet?”

Still I’ve become lazy and annoyed by the chore of lugging it around while je fais les courses, and as much as it shames me to admit it, wary of what Parisians will think about how I look.

Mais, the other day when I was out walking with Taz, I saw a family of three (mom, dad and teenage daughter) on their bikes with some very chic headgear. “Leave it to the French to make bicycle helmets pretty,” I thought, and went home to do some research.

When I opened my email, a monthly newsletter popped up, and one of the top features was this:

folding bicycle helmet closca turtle VERSIONS

Exactly the chic chapeaux the French family had been sporting. I took it as a sign. After more research, I discovered that not only did these helmets (by Closca) look good, but also they are collapsible and safety certified. Apparently I have been totally out of the loop. In most big cities around the world, collapsible bicycle helmets are the latest trend.

And guess what? This particular one is not designed by the French, but created by two Spanish entrepreneurs and design engineers.

Bien hecho! Y muchas gracias!

And I then I found these by Yakkay:

Don’t tell Superman. Who knows, maybe he will find a bicycle helmet cover obsession easier to relate to than a shoe obsession?

Which one do you like?

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Bien hecho! Y muchas gracias! Well done! And thanks a lot!

Je fais les courses: I run errands; I do the shopping

vélo: bicycle

Jan 23

2 Comments

No. 118-119: Spéculoos and le Musée du quai Branly Combined

Out and about this morning and in search of a birthday gift for Charlotte, my favorite soon to be 4-year-old, I decided to pop into la librairie du Musée du quai Branly and take a peek at their unique collection of gifts. Much to my delight, I came across this in the children’s book section:

Spéculoos! La quête/Spéculoos! the Quest

Spéculoos! La quête/Spéculoos! the Quest

When I first spied it, I thought surely, there must be another meaning for the word Spéculoos that I don’t know. Mais non!

Speculoos

This is actually a tale of an extraordinarily happy, rotund and spoiled princess from a magical far eastern land who is saved by Spéculoos!

The princess leads a grandiose life. When she wakes up, she nibbles cake and pralines. For dinner she gobbles pralines and cake, and for dessert, she savors ice cream with pralines. Mais un jour, la Princesse n’eut plus faim/but one day, the princess was no longer hungry. Well, this certainly makes her very sad and she cries for a very long time. Not one single soul in the entire kingdom can find a cure for her sickness.

But then one day Maurice, le ménestrel de la Cour, who, naturally, is profoundly in love with princess, has an idea. He will go to the sorcière, and ask if he has any ancient potions to cure his secret love. And this is what the sorcerer tells him:

J’ai ce qu’il te faut, une très vieille recette de biscuit, mais qui agit mieux qu’une potion/I have what you need, a very old cookie recipe, that is better than any potion. 

…and the cookie that’s better than a magic potion? Spéculoos, obviously.

Speculoos

So he travels dans des contrées lointaines pour ramener le gingembre, le clou de girofle, la cannelle, la cardamone et la muscade/to distant lands to find the ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Upon hearing about his plan and envisioning the recipe, the princess falls instantly and madly in love with her hero.

From Nigeria to Zanzibar, to India and the red Orient, and onward to Sri Lanka and the Indonesian archipelago, love struck Maurice diligently gathers the indispensible spices.

Upon his return he bakes her the cookies (as can Charlotte, by following along with the simple recipe)…

…et en goûtant le Spéculoos, la Princesse avait retrouvé toute sa gaieté. Mais plus que le biscuit, c’était le courage de Maurice qui l’avait conquise/and upon tasting the Speculoos, the princess’ cheerfulness was restored. But more than the cookies, it was the courage of Maurice that conquered her malady and won her heart.

Speculoos

Awww…shucks….

I have to say, I’ve had some days where Speculoos is as good as, if not better, than any other magic potion to chase away the blues. I’m glad the Musée Branly thinks so too!

Spéculoos

But if you don’t like Spéculoos, the Quai Branly Museum has plenty of other nifty and colorful gifts for you to choose from.

Vocabulaire

la librairie du Musée du quai Branly: the bookshop at the Branly Museum

le ménestrel de la Cour: the court minstrel

Mais non! But, no!

sorcière: sorcerer

Jan 18

3 Comments

No. 115: Le Musée du quai Branly

You know you are a very spoiled museumgoer when you sometimes just need a break from ‘western’ art and want to be reminded that the rest of the world is filled with spectacular art and artists.

Louvre

Louvre

That’s where le musée du quai Branly comes in.

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I am extremely fortunate because this striking contemporary building and collection is right at my doorstep. Set among a massive diverse garden, the museum showcases and celebrates the colorful and native arts and objects from Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

musée Branly Quai Branly Museum

Vocabulaire: 

le musée du quai Branly: the Quai Branly Museum; 37, quai Branly, 75007 Paris

 

Dec 31

4 Comments

No. 100-101: The Colors and Creatures of Martinique

Our time in Martinique is drawing to a close and as the gas strike is still in full swing, I spent the afternoon wandering, watching and snapping photos, soaking up the vibrant colors, creatures and flavors of our temporary piece of the French Caribbean. Profitez!

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Vocabulaire

Profitez! Enjoy!

Dec 24

No. 93: Wild Beaches

I am a huge fan of wild beaches. When Superman and I lived in Washington, D.C. our favorite weekend getaway was backpacking and camping at Chincoteague Island in Virginia with the wild horses. We were both happily reminded of that wonderful beach when we took a wrong turn the other day in Martinique and ended up at Macabou.

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The translation for wild beaches in French is plages sauvages—savage beaches—which in my mind captures this beach exactly.

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As I am currently addicted to the American television series LOST (yes, a decade after everyone else was), stepping onto the beach at Macabou was like stepping into the world of Jack Shepard and the evil Benjamin Linus. There was even the cliff where Hurley attempted suicide.

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The waves were vicious, the wind was roaring, and there wasn’t a soul in sight. The shore covered mostly with dry plants washed in with the tide, we had to hike in about 15 minutes to find a tiny bit of sand among the fierce vegetation.

Completely alone, it was as if no one else existed. Beautiful. Undisturbed. A small slice of heaven on Earth.

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