My name is Inigo Montoya so don't cry for me Argentina

When I attended An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin at the Ahmanson Theatre, I was naïve to the impact these two performers have had on musical theatre. Let’s face it; my first memory of Patinkin was not his Tony Award winning performance in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, but his portrayal of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. I only discovered Yentl last year when I became obsessed with watching Barbara Streisand movies, although I did buy his self titled album and knew him to be a strong vocal talent. As for LuPone, well when my roommate attempted to describe who she is the only pop culture reference I knew was playing Harrison Ford’s sister in Witness. Now, since I have been so honest in my failures as a musical theatre historian, let me remind my readers that I was not born when LuPone played Evita Peron or originated Fantine in Les Miserables. I do however remember her Tony win for Rose in the 2008 revival of Gypsy, as I had visited New York earlier that year and cursed myself for not buying a ticket. I also have in my possession the original cast recording of Evita, which I have been listening to for years. That being said, I have three words to describe this show: AMAZING, AMAZING AMAZING! Mandy Patinkin’s voice is 20 times better than it is on his album, and his handling of the Sondheim... Wow! They sparkle together, know each other like the back of their hands, and their energy is illuminating. When LuPone sang “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” I had chills running up my spine, and when they rolled out in office chairs to grace us with an original dance I almost gave them a standing ovation before the show had concluded. My roommate and I talked about it all the way home, well at least until we got off the freeway in Long Beach and started belting out “Buenos Aires” with Patti.

What is "Art"?

I am in Chicago! What a beautiful city! Oh, just a heads up for out-of-towners, your GPS will not work between skyscrapers. However, if you have to get lost, Chicago is the place to be. Between visits to the Billy Goat Tavern, Sears Tower, John Hancock Observatory, Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain, Field Museum, Millennium Park and the Shedd Aquarium, I was able to visit the Steppenwolf for their production of Art. (fshew! I am exhausted.) When I walked into Chicago’s Steppenwolf to see Art by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton, I thought I would see a play about art, as the title suggests. What I found was a play about the power of friendship. This was my first visit to Chicago and I have to say that the theatre scene there is astounding. I enjoyed the intimacy of the theatre. I found the play to be thought provoking and tragically comical. The story begins when Serge purchases a piece of abstract “art” featuring a white on white canvas with hints of white for purchased for 200,000 francs. His choice to spend a fortune on such a controversial piece causes friction between him and his best friend Marc. Their mutual friend Yvan, finds something tranquil in what he sees, but Marc only sees Serge as caring more for a piece of blank canvas than their friendship. The three not only clash over the painting, but over their private lives, and their treatment of each other. They test each other’s limits through hilarious anecdotes, which left me rolling with laughter. In the end there are revelations made by all parties, and Serge makes a shocking gesture to prove his commitment to their friendship. It makes me question: What is art? What makes art valuable? What makes a friendship valuable? What does it take to be a good friend?