War Horse at Lincoln Center

Perhaps more than other major conflicts, World War I holds a unique place in history. It marked the first time heavy machinery had entered the field, and resulted in a greater loss of life than any conflict up to that time. European society was thrown into chaos, and nothing would ever be the same again. One fact about WWI, however, is not as widely known; this was the last time that cavalry was deployed as a major unit in armed combat. Recently adapted by Stephen Spielberg into a feature film, the production of War Horse now playing at Lincoln Center offers a unique and touching glimpse into this little known world of vanishing cavalry.

 

Upon seeing the performance, my feelings and reactions were somewhat mixed (as were those of the rest of my family). The storyline in-and-of-itself was not groundbreaking- the prized horse (and perhaps only friend) of a poor English farm boy is sold into the cavalry by his drunken, gambling father and sent to fight in France. The boy secretly enlists and faces many dangers to find his horse, and the two are reunited in the end. The most unique and memorable aspect of the production, however, was the effects. The horses were constructed essentially like mechanical costumes; an articulated framework covered with strips of cloth and leather and manned by 2 or 3 puppeteers. They were really the stars of the show, even more than the actors. There was also a massive computer screen set above the stage, which featured continuously changing digital images (fashioned to look like black and white drawings) relating to the time and place of the current scene.

There were also short musical pieces spaced throughout the performance, some of which were surprisingly good. While the storyline may not have been remarkable, the characters featured multi-layered personalities and displayed very genuine (if somewhat exaggerated) emotions. Overall, if you looked at the story from the personalities and life situations of the characters, you could easily understand their feelings as well as the reasons for their actions.

Seeing this performance has inspired me to view Spielberg's film to see how it stacks up. In any case, I would recommend anyone who can afford it to visit Lincoln Center and book a seat to this remarkable production.

4/14/12- movie comparison 

The Biography of Studio 54

Studio 54: The Rubell/Schrager Years

In 1977, Studio 54 was transformed into a new age, spectacular nightclub by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, with Jack Dushey as a financial backer. They operated the company as Broadway Catering Corp. It took four months to transform the theater into a nightclub and cost $400,000.^[6]

Rubell and Schrager hired Ron Doud as interior designer, Scott Bromley as architect, Renny Reynolds as florist, and Brian Thompson to design environmental lighting. Jules Fisher, a Tony Award winning theatrical lighting designer and Paul Marantz, a world renowned architectural lighting designer known for his work on buildings and bridges, were enlisted to lead a team of International lighting and theatrical set designers to convert the theater into an ever changing environmental sensory explosion including a dance floor and moveable, theatrical sets and lights using the original theatrical fly rails. Using the theater's original theatrical infrastructure, they were able to dramatically change the space and alter the size of the space multiple times a night—something that had never been done before. The club was exciting and was always doing something different and unexpected; they often had special “one night only“ performances by the hottest musical acts around. Studio 54 took the nightclub scene by storm and was an instant success.

Within a month of opening, the New York State Liquor Authority raided Studio 54 for selling liquor without a license, and closed it. The owners of the nightclub said the incident was a "misunderstanding". The next night the club reopened, serving fruit juice and soda instead of liquor and was still a success.

Studio 54 was a melting pot where people of different ages, ethnicities, professions, and lifestyles came together under one roof: the diversity was truly combustible. The crowd included the most celebrated writers, actors, artists, dancers, musicians and other culturally influential people. Among the many celebrities present were Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger, Rick James, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Hall, Diana Vreeland, Halston, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Margaux Hemingway, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Salvador Dalí, Brooke Shields, Francesco Scavullo, Cher, Joan Collins, Martha Graham and Deborah Harry.

Studio 54 was operated by the publicly visible Rubell and his invisible creative partner, Schrager. Rubell became widely known for his door policy, mixing ordinary people with glamorous celebrities. Rubell "cast a play" when selecting the perfect mix of people to enter the club each night. The nightclub held around 1,550 patrons who paid a $15 / $20 cover charge to get in each night.

Rubell and Schrager gave event planner Robert Isabell his first break with the planning of an unbelievable New Years Eve party. Isabell had four tons of glitter dumped in a four inch layer on the dance floor. Ian Schrager described it as "standing on stardust". Glitter could be found months later on guests' clothing and in their homes.^[7]

In December 1978 Rubell was quoted in the New York newspapers as saying the Studio 54 had made $7 million in its first year and that "only the Mafia made more money." Shortly thereafter the nightclub was raided and Rubell and Schrager were arrested for skimming $2.5 million.

Studio 54 closed with a final party on February 4, 1980 where Diana Ross personally serenaded Rubell and Schrager. Ryan O'Neal, Mariel Hemingway, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Richard Gere, Gia Carangi, Jack Nicholson, Reggie Jackson, and Sylvester Stallone were among the guests that night. Schrager and Rubell were found guilty of tax evasion^[vague] and spent 13 months in prison. It was the first time anyone had ever been prosecuted for a one year tax evasion.

by Justin Stenzler

source : wikipedia.org

The Life of Steve Rubell who owned Studio 54

Steve Rubell
Born	December 2, 1943 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died	July 25, 1989 (aged 45) New York City, New York, United States

Early life

Rubell and his brother Don spent their childhoods with their parents in Brooklyn, New York. His father worked for the U.S. Postal Service and later became a tennis pro. Rubell attended Wingate High School, and was also an avid tennis player,^[1] but decided against playing professionally.

[edit]Education

Entering Syracuse University ^[2] Rubell had the intention of becoming a dentist, but failed his courses and switched majors, studying finance and history. Rubell was reportedly not a good student but managed to complete his studies, going on to complete a Master's degree in Finance. While attending college Rubell met Ian Schrager, who became a lifelong friend and business partner.

[edit]Business

Rubell joined the National Guard, returning to New York after a tour of duty in the military intelligence unit, he worked at a brokerage firm after his return. Rubell then decided to start his own business and opened two restaurants, one in Queens, New York, and the other in New Haven, Connecticut.

[edit]Studio 54 Era

In 1974, Rubell teamed up with Schrager to run a chain of Steak Loft restaurants, and after spending some time in the NY nightclub scene, the two decided to open a club of their own. John Addison, owner of La Jardin on West 43rd Street, introduced Rubell to Billy Smith A/K/A Billy Amato, in 1974. Smith was asked by Schrager and Rubell to handle the promotions for their new disco club called "Enchanted Gardens", a dinner/disco in Queens. While still in the music business, Smith then joined Rubell and Schrager part-time at Studio 54 in the Spring of 1977 and full-time in 1981. Smith stayed with the pair until the closing of Studio 54 in April 1986.

Rubell and Schrager opened two clubs, one in Boston with John Addison from La Jardin, the other, called The Enchanted Garden, in Queens in 1975. In April 1977, they opened Studio 54 in an old television studio on West 54th Street. Rubell became a familiar face in front of the building, turning people down at the door and only letting in those who met his specific standards. Rubell also dealt with the club's celebrity patrons, ensuring that they were thrown lavish parties. His tactics worked, and the club made $7 million during its first year.

In December 1978, Studio 54 was raided after Rubell was quoted as saying that only the Mafia made more money than the club brought in. In June 1979, Rubell and Schrager were charged with tax evasion, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy for reportedly skimming nearly $2.5 million in unreported income from the club's receipts, in a system Rubell called "cash-in, cash-out and skim." ^[3] A second raid occurred in December 1979. The pair hired Roy Cohn to defend them,^[4] but on January 18, 1980, they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison and a $20,000 fine each for the tax evasion charge. On February 4, 1980, Rubell and Schrager went to prison and Studio 54 was sold in November of that year for $4.75 million. In January 1981, Rubell and Schrager were released from prison after handing over the names of other club owners involved in tax evasion.

[edit]Hotels

Once released, Rubell and Schrager purchased the Executive Hotel on Madison Ave and renamed it Morgan's. Rubell later opened the Palladium, a large dance club famous for displaying art by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, and considered central to the New York club scene in the 1980s. In 1998, the Palladium was demolished so that New York University dorms could be built in its place.^[5]

[edit]Pop culture

Mike Myers played the part of Steve Rubell in the movie 54. ^[6] Rubell has also been the topic of an episode of Biography titled Steve Rubell: Lord of the Disco.

[edit]Death

In 1985, after discovering he had contracted AIDS, Rubell (who was closeted for most of his life^[2]) began taking AZT, but his illness was furthered by his continued drug usage and drinking, which affected his already compromised immune system. Rubell died on July 25, 1989, with the official cause of death listed as hepatitis.^[3]

by Justin Stenzler

source : wkipedia.org