I’m Late … I’m Late ... (4/27–28/19)

Technically, I was not late. On Saturday, twenty-eight blocks of Broadway were closed to vehicular traffic for a belated Earth Day event (Earth Day was actually on April 22). It was similar to Summer Streets just on a much smaller level. There were, however, a lot of NYC-based environmental booths and kiosks. And a few giveaways. And Citi Bike seemed to have some sort of program going, as well as rollerblades available for free use, and at least two spots with group workouts going on. It was OK but a little awkward, since Broadway cuts through the other grid-based streets which made some intersections somewhat dicey. Still, it was good to have fewer cars on the road, even if only for a few hours (9am–3pm). This was the inaugural occurrence—we’ll see if it happens again next year.

Sunday found me in Brooklyn on Stratford Road for Shakespeare on Stratford, celebrating the Bard’s 455th birthday (his actual birthday was April 23). Fifteen sonnets were brought to life by costumed actors from Brave New World Repertory Theatre, performed on front porches and, in some cases, the sidewalks along Stratford. There was no set time for the individual performances, and audience members strolled from performer to performer. It was interesting, if a little odd because if you missed the first line, you couldn’t put a name to a performer unless you hung around for the next iteration. The sonnets were listed in a scroll/program by their number and first line, so a little signage with the sonnet number would have been helpful. Most of the performers varied their delivery, providing at least two or more renditions of their sonnet, which I found pretty cool. My favorites were When in the chronicle of wasted time and When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see. After the sonnet recitations, all fifteen performers got together for some spirited madrigal singing—Now Is the Month of Maying, So Well I Know Who’s Happy, and Sing We and Chant It (a version I did not know). Then we were invited to sing along with Now Is the Month of Maying after the performers had finished their three songs. And you all know that I'm gung-ho for a sing-along. That was followed by a courtly dance that morphed into an Afro-Haitian finale. I skipped out after the courtly dance part.

I’m not sure whether this is an annual event, but I’m pretty sure it’s a one and done for me.

ConcertMeister