Adam Phillips on Madness
by Violaine HuismanA couple of years ago over the course of a season, the Harvey Theater showcased a stellar lineup of madmen. Geoffrey Rush performed the delusional Poprishchin in Diary of a Madman,...
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Before the Oscars: The Hammies
by Ben CohenDwight Henry and Quvenzhané Wallis of Beasts of the Southern Wild at BAMcinemaFest 2012You can blame the Academy Awards for all the hoopla associated today with awards shows. The red...
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Tweet of the Week: The High School Play Edition
This week's Tweet of the Week comes from Kevin Carter (@shotintoeternit) who posted about performing in The Laramie Project in high school. Kevin is not alone: The Laramie Project is one of the most...
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Two Generals, One Name
…save for two pesky accents. One artist founded reggaeton, the other created the soundtrack for the Tunisian revolution. Only the latter is performing at Mic Check, BAM’s showcase of hip-hop from North...
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Saharan Frequencies
By George MürerPresented in conjunction with Mic Check at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAMcinématek’s Saharan Frequencies (Mar 4, 11 & 18) features seven rare gems that explore the sounds of...
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Amkoullel, A Hip-Hop SOS for Mali
by Sophie ShackletonAt the beginning of many West African hip-hop shows, you’ll hear the cry of “ESSUKUH ÇA-VA?!” (basically the equivalent of “Wassup!!”—but it literally translates to “is everything...
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This Week in BAM History: BAM at BAM, 1971
Forty-two years ago—March 6, 1971 to be precise—BAM was one of three venues in the NYC region to take part in a three-day festival of poetry, New Black Poets in America 1971. Organized by the...
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5 Questions for Deeb
Muhammed El Deeb is not your average rapper. A former banker, he is a poet, and a full time advocate for Arabic hip-hop. Born in Egypt, and raised in Qatar and Dubai, his first rap verse came about...
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What We're Looking At: We're Busy Here!
Via Slate.com: The White Haired Girl, 1974. © Zhang Yaxin/Courtesy see+ Gallery, Beijing, and Stephen Bulger Gallery, TorontoWe at the BAM Blog know what you’ve been wondering: “If I were to cruise...
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Foto Friday: 10:30am Mic Check
Amkoullel on stage with his newest fans/back-up dancers; Photo by Ross KaufmanEarlier today, over a thousand high school students filed into the opera house for a morning dose of North African and...
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In Context: Mic Check:Hip-Hop from North Africa and the Middle East
AmkoullelMic Check: Hip-Hop from North Afrcia and the Middle East comes to BAM this Saturday, March 9. Context is everything, so get even closer to Deeb, Amkoullel, Shadia Mansour, and El Général with...
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The Living Theatre at BAM: the revolution never was televised, but it was staged
by Louie FleckRevolutionary Hippie Theater?In 1963, New York had the Bread and Puppet Theater. In 1963, Detroit had the Detroit Repertory Theatre.In 1967, San Francisco had the Diggers and the San...
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Guest Post: Brooklyn Poetry Picks
by Mahogany L. BrowneI have the dream job. I write poems for a living. I work with poets every week. I eat, sleep, watch, dream, and digest poetry. In the mornings, I sit at the intimate...
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When Musical Stars Align
by Jane Jansen SeymourPlanetarium. Photo courtesy of the artistsBryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, and Sufjan Stevens are musical multi-taskers and have been friends for over a decade. The idea of finding a...
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From the Astrology Dept: The Ides of March and Google Divination™
Dear BAMystic, What's up with the Ides of March? Is it a real thing? Something Shakespeare made up? Some band I've never heard of? And what does “ides” mean, anyway? Yours, IdaDear Ida,I think the most...
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Foto Friday: Walt Whitman
There's something about a Walt Whitman portrait. Check out the one in the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass: it was a challenge to all comers. Hat cocked, hand on hip, no jacket (to say nothing of the...
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A Planetarium-inspired Guide to the Galaxy
by Nathan GelgudIt’s only three days until Planetarium, a musical celebration of the solar system by Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, and Sufjan Stevens. We've put together a sort of Copernican guide to the...
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Today in BAM History: Helen Keller lecture on “The Heart and the Hand” (1913)
by Louie FleckWhen we think about Helen Keller (June 27, 1880–June 1, 1968), what do we know?We all know that Helen Keller was deaf and blind, and that she overcame these challenges and became an...
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In Context: Planetarium
Sufjan Stevens and Bryce Dessner. Photo: Daniel BoudPlanetarium, the love letter to the solar system from Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, and Bryce Dessner, runs at BAM until Sunday, March 24. Context is...
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Charpentier's David et Jonathas: A Tragedy of Love
by Marina HarssIf you think Salieri had it bad, imagine poor Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643—1704), a composer whose career was thwarted at every turn by his over-ambitious rival, the colorful...
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