Ah, caffeine, the magic potion that gets us through the day even when our eyelids are heavy and the night before was spent doing everything, but sleeping. The awakening boost of energy you get from a sip of tea or coffee. As a specialized high school student who had to commute an hour every morning just to get to class, I should have been well versed in the effects and benefits of caffeine. However, up until my senior year of high school, I rarely looked toward stimulants to keep me focused and awake during the day. Looking back, I am somewhat amazed how I did it, for the moment caffeine made its way into my life, I knew early mornings wouldn’t be the same anymore.
There is a defining moment in every teenager’s life when one realizes that he or she is finally an adult. After this instant, there is no turning back. You become hooked and even obsessed with this newfound pleasure that seems to drastically improve and enrich your life. It is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, as cliché as that might sound.
Ah, caffeine, the magic potion that gets us through the day even when our eyelids are heavy and the night before was spent doing everything, but sleeping. The awakening boost of energy you get from a sip of tea or coffee. As a specialized high school student who had to commute an hour every morning just to get to class, I should have been well versed in the effects and benefits of caffeine. However, up until my senior year of high school, I rarely looked toward stimulants to keep me focused and awake during the day. Looking back, I am somewhat amazed how I did it, for the moment caffeine made its way into my life, I knew early mornings wouldn’t be the same anymore.
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Just as a general note, I’ve decided to start a new section of my blog dedicated to movies where the city either serves as a backdrop to the plot or functions as the leading character. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a dynamic overture commences and the credits fade in at the beginning of the film, you know right away that you are in for a classic, Hollywood musical. Immediately, the audience is transported back in time to an indefinable time period (possible anywhere between the 1920s and 40s) and onto the bustling streets of New York City. A ring of petty gamblers and thieves appears on the screen and places bets and exchanges pickpocketed gizmos in a Rube Goldberg style chain of events. The opening shot to Guys and Dolls, the 1955 film adaption of the stage musical of the same name, is lively and fully captures the timeless energy and personalities of the city. Unfortunately, the quick-pace intro is only a misleading representation of the rest of the film, which drags with bland numbers and flat singing. Guys and Dolls, based on two short stories by Damon Runyon, originally began as a Tony Award winning musical on the Great White Way and has then been revived three separate times. I have personally never seen the full show on stage, but the word on the street, is that it is a fabulous piece of classic musical comedy. The film attracted me mainly because it featured many big name stars of old Hollywood including Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Marlon Brando, and Jean Simmons. With so many talented individuals in a film, I had high expectations. While I thoroughly enjoyed the music, the comedy, and gazing at the young Marlon Brando, I was slightly disappointed by the quality of the musical, which seemed lacking compared to other film adaptations of its time. Our society has always had a tendency to revere the rich and famous. In a world where most of us are insignificant and ordinary, we seem to admire those who manage to captivate the public eye. These people are in a league of their own with tons of social capital as well as actual capital. They live in affluent communities in large mansions or penthouses with price tags most of us can only dream of affording. Our fascination of celebrities is so strong that a good part of today’s media covers the latest scoop on our favorite movie stars, musicians, and athletes.
With the advent of social media, it has become even easier to stay up to date and even connect on a more personal level with those who live in a much different and distant reality. Twitter, for example, has become one of the prime vehicles for celebrity stalking. It allows stars to share more intimate and daily details with loyal fans that will eagerly drink in any knowledge of their idols’ lives, even if it is that their favorite actress is drinking tomato soup. It definitely bridges the gap and allows everyday people to feel in the loop with celebrities. However, the closer we supposedly get to celebrities, the more unrealistic our admiration becomes. Part of the reason why we admire stars is because they feed our own personal dream and fantasy to join the elite class. Most people want to be recognized by the world, in one way or another. When our favorite stars make an effort to reach out to the plebeians, we suddenly feel special. We are now Internet “besties” with our idols. A taste of professional theater and celebrity talent takes over the Berkshires as the Tony-award winning Williamstown Theatre Festival returns for its 60th season. This annual summer series, housed in Williams College’s 62 Center and the surrounding campus, provide local residents, tourists, and avid theatergoers, the unique opportunity to enjoy the premiere work of both famous and unknown directors and playwrights. This year’s festival features a diverse lineup of plays, musicals, free theater, workshops, and other unique cultural events. As a student at Williams College and a theater-lover, the Festival was an attraction I did not want to miss during my summer visit to the school. Upon driving onto the campus, I was taken aback by the busy and almost touristy atmosphere that is unusual for Williamstown. I mean, there were actually people! During the school year, the campus is relatively calm and uneventful, apart from the quotidian activities of students rushing off to class and the typical weekend college parties. The “main street,” which really isn’t a main street (it is only a block long) is so quiet that you have to wonder how the little restaurants, adorable boutiques, and art galleries stay in business. Well, the answer is, they hang on till summer when the three months of warm weather can finally coax some visitors (who aren’t Williams parents). To present a diverse selection of theatre to visitors, the Festival only runs each show for a short period of time. While I was on campus, one show was closing, while another was opening. Nevertheless, the production I was fortunate enough to see that weekend hit all the right notes…literally. As a classical pianist of many years, I have grown up with music all of my life. Even as a young child, my father was obsessed with classical music. Our home was always filled with Mozart sonatas (performed by Daniel Barenboim) and the Tchaikovsky Nutcracker. However, I am ashamed to say I have rarely attended orchestral performances. In the past, I have occasionally sat in on recitals at Carnegie Hall and a few events at Lincoln Center featuring solo piano. Never having the opportunity to play in an orchestra, I have never fully developed an interest for ensemble work. Upon arriving in college, I quickly translated my musical passions into an extracurricular. I joined a chamber music ensemble, hoping to expand my experience as a musician. For a soloist, I was daunted by the idea of playing with others. Because chamber groups are much smaller than a full orchestra and usually contain three to five people, each instrument plays a duel role: one as a soloist and another as an accompanist. It is challenging and requires a lot of cooperation amongst musicians in the group. A year of dabbling in chamber music truly expanded my classical music interests and also helped me discover a newfound appreciation and love for ensemble work and orchestral pieces. I began to attend the music department’s concerts, recitals, and even symphony performances. I was truly amazed by what I heard and saw. If you think it is difficult to coordinate five musicians, imagine what it must be like to coordinate fifty or even a hundred musicians. Returning home for the summer, I was excited to feed my new love for orchestral music in the capital city of all-things entertainment. One of the amazing opportunities I came across was Concerts in the Park, free outdoor concerts performed every summer by the NY Philharmonic. I was familiar with this series because as a child, my parents often took me to the performances at Cunningham Park in Queens. Back then, we never caught the full concert and were mostly there for the fireworks that burst into the sky as the orchestra finished it’s triumphant final note. Being older and more of a classical music aficionado, I wanted to hear the entire concert this year. When you start a new chapter in your life, be it middle school, high school, college, or a career, you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. While this can be refreshing, it is a double-sided sword. Whatever you have achieved or the person you’ve created in your “old” life is no longer applicable in this new world. You need to start all over again and rebuild your identity and reputation. This part terrifies me about moving forward in life. I am always nervous about not being able to reestablish myself in a different situation or failing to be successful.
My early high school experience was reflective of this fear. During my first year or so of high school, I suffered blows to my confidence and pride. I encountered failures and rejections that made me reconsider my own ability and almost set aside some of my greatest passions. Worst of all, in a NYC specialized high school that is too quick to leave behind victims of intense competition and backstabbing, I never felt comfortable revealing my internal struggles with my self-esteem. Throughout my four years, I did eventually manage to overcome this, blessed with amazing opportunities that helped me “show up” the disappointments I felt early on in high school. Nevertheless, it was a difficult journey, which is why I choose to share my story, hoping that it will encourage others who have the same worries or experience the same defeats realize that there can always be comeback. Two of my greatest passions are writing and music. Prior to high school, I won numerous writing competitions, in all genres. I was even a published poet by the time I was eleven. Musically, I was an excellent pianist and a decent self-taught guitarist. I was a relatively fast learner, especially for my age. Singing, however, was my joy and frankly, I wasn’t too shabby at it. In elementary school, I sang with a historical choir, the school chorus, and was the lead in my 6th grade play. New York City offers a variety of activities, events, and sights for residents and tourists alike. Enjoy what the city has to offer this summer, regardless of whether you are a first time visitor or have lived here your entire life.
The ‘80s classic Heathers starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater cynically captures the dark side of high school popularity and bullying. The film is a tastefully done narrative of a teenage girl who is roped into solving the world problems of high school through murder and deception by her mysterious boyfriend. It walks a fine line between a serious drama and a comedy with wry, cheeky lines like the one referenced in my title. I first saw Heathers during my freshman year in college and was immediately puzzled by the plotline, which was a bit over the top. (Come on, who actually goes around killing their enemies and then faking it as a suicide!) Nevertheless, the movie intrigued me, because Winona Ryder played a very strong female lead and also, quite frankly, Christian Slater was a sight for the eyes! Unfortunately, the musical adaptation of this cult favorite lacks all that was appealing of the movie and instead, relies on cheap laughs and gimmicky teenage humor. The off-Broadway production (I pray that this will not hit Broadway anytime soon), playing at New World Stages, is relatively faithful to its film inspiration. The characters are all the same and there is no newly added plotline. However, where the film succeeded in creating a dark comedy that made you smirk every now and then, the show was a messy compilation of gaudy guffawing moments. I was particularly turned-off by the plethora of sexual references which surpassed the casual “That’s what she said” joke. As a college student, I can easily tolerate references to Deep Throat, anal beads, and dicks, but this was just too much. Throughout the show, I felt myself slinking into my seat from second-hand embarrassment as characters sang about (I kid you not) blue balls and blowjobs. The sexualization of the female characters, namely the three Heathers, who paraded around semi-provocatively in tight, short skirts was also bothersome. In a day and age where we strive to prevent such negative and overly-feminine representations of women, this was a total setback. (Disclaimer: I do not really classify myself as a feminist!) I have always been familiar with Roosevelt Island. I have gazed down at it as my family crossed the Ed Koch Bridge on our way into the city. During subway rides to and from school, the F train always stopped at Roosevelt Island and waited as all of two passengers boarded the train. However, despite my frequent close encounters with the island, I had never fully explored it. A narrow islet smack right in the middle of the East River between Manhattan and Queens, Roosevelt Island has been shrouded with mystery. It isn't exactly a tourist attraction and no one ever comes to New York just to say, "Hey, I've been to Roosevelt Island." When I was younger, I would always ask my parents, "What's on Roosevelt Island?" and they never seemed to know the answer. The obscurity of this blatantly noticeable island was too much for me to handle, so I decided to check it out for myself. With a little bit of research, I quickly realized why Roosevelt Island holds a reputation of such secrecy. It's history is a bit, dare I say, downright creepy. Formerly known as Blackwell's Island (named for the Blackwell family who used to farm there) and Welfare's Island (yikes!), this little strip of land has been home to a prison, a smallpox hospital, a workhouse, and a lunatic asylum. Thankfully, my research also revealed that the island has undergone drastic reforms and changes since it's Dickensian days. |
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