From Italy to Kresge
In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the celebrated Italian operatic composer, and in support of the relationship between Eni and MIT, the La Scala Chamber Orchestra performed a special MIT-exclusive concert at Kresge Auditorium on Oct. 7. The concert performance was proceeded with brief introductory remarks by MIT President Reif and Eni’s Chairman
Events Oct. 18 – Oct. 24
Events Oct. 18 – Oct. 24 Friday (5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.) Architecture/Computation Lecture: Pablo Garcia, “A Brief History of Drawing Machines, Since 1425,” — 7-429 (5:15 p.m.–6:30 p.m.) Ancient & Medieval Studies Speakers Series | “Form as Theory: the Case of Medieval Boethius” — 14E-304 (5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.) Rob La Frenais: Future of Transport/Transport of the Future — E15-207, Wiesner room (8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.) Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre presents Shadows Fleeting — Sanctuary Theatre, Harvard Square (8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.) Celebrity Series of Boston presents Pianist Yuja Wang — Jordan Hall (11:59 p.m.) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (FREE, with shadow cast!) — 26-100 Saturday (8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.) Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre presents Shadows Fleeting — Sanctuary Theatre, Harvard Square Sunday (8:00 p.m–11:00 p.m.) International Folk Dancing — Sala de Puerto Rico Monday (2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.) Bobby Few and Don Byas Featured on WMBR’s Research & Development Program — 88.1 FM WMBR Radio (7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.) ACT Lecture | Lovett/Codagnone: Re-adapting Cinematic Traces — E15-001 (7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.) Angels in America, an ITS ALIVE reading — 14W-111 Tuesday (5:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.) Places in the Making panel discussion — E15, Bartos Theater (7:00 p.m.–8:15 p.m.) Australian Short Film (FREE admission) — 10-250 (7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.) Harmonix co-founder presents Rock Band and Beyond — Cambridge Innovation Center (8:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m.) Klezmer Contra Dance with live music! — W20-491 Wednesday (5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.) MTA Composer Forum presents: Martin Marks, MIT Senior Lecturer in Music and Theater Arts — 14E-109, Lewis Music Library (8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.) Israeli Dancing — W20-491 Thursday (6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.) Architecture/Allen Lecture: William F. Baker, “Geometry, Structure and Architecture” — 10-250 (7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.) Urban Films: Good Fortune (2010) — 3-133 (8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.) Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre presents Shadows Fleeting — Sanctuary Theatre, Harvard Square (8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.) Screening of “Three Colors: Blue” by Krzysztof Kieslowski — 4-231 Send your arts events to arts@tech.mit.edu.
‘An eagle in a dove-coat’
“What if Mick Jagger stopped singing ‘Honky Tonk Woman’?” asked MFA curator Erica Hirshler at the opening of John Singer Sargent Watercolors. By 1907, the renowned Gilded Age portraitist John Singer Sargent had effectively abandoned his lucrative career as a portrait artist in favor of landscapes and figure studies in watercolor. It came as a shock to the art world, as if Jagger had given up “Honky Tonk Woman.”
Taking off from the ground into flight
The word “aerial” has come to connote aerial silks, trapeze, lyra, and similar circus arts, and the performances often involve more acrobatics and gravity-defying tricks than dance per se. That’s not to say that aerial silks are not graceful or expressive, but that Cirque du Soleil has set a high standard for making audiences gasp.
‘I think I’m gonna like it here’
Fangirls and boys everywhere have been eagerly awaiting the return of Supernatural, a show about two brothers saving people and hunting all things supernatural, creepy, and deadly. The show made its ninth season return this Tuesday, Oct. 8 on The CW, and, as expected, Superwholockians have already begun to flood Tumblr with GIFs capturing key scenes, new fanfiction, and speculation about what the new season has in store.
Arts Events OCT. 11 – OCT. 17
Arts Events OCT. 11 – OCT. 17 Friday (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Second Fridays at the MIT Museum: Chain Reaction! — MIT Museum (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Architecture Lecture: Alex Miller, “Internal Logic” — 7-429 (7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.) LSC presents World War Z — 26-100 (7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.) MISTI Foreign Film Night and WGS: Girl Rising — 32-155 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Critical Band Plays Steve Martland — Kresge Auditorium (8:00 p.m.) Opening night of “The Power of Duff,” by the Huntington Theatre Company Oct. 11 through Nov. 9 — South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA Saturday (7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.) LSC presents World War Z — 26-100 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT Symphony Orchestra Concert — Kresge Auditorium Sunday (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.) International Folk Dancing — Sala de Puerto Rico (8:00 a.m.) John Singer Sargent Watercolors Exhibit opens — Boston Museum of Fine Arts Monday (2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) Jason Adasiewicz, Garrison Fewell, and Eddie Harris featured on WMBR — 88.1 FM Radio Tuesday (8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.) Folk Dance Club presents Contra Dance with live music — W20-491 Thursday (1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.) Join Michelle Finamore, curator of fashion arts, talks about new exhibit “Think Pink” — Boston Museum of Fine Arts (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Lecture: Kathrin Aste and Frank Ludin, “Constructing Topographies” — 7-429 (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Chris Marker: Guillaume-en-Égypte opening reception — MIT List Visual Arts Center (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) Work-In-Progress Film Screening: Women Take Over 888 Memorial Drive — E25-111 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Beaubourg (1977) presented by Department of Urban Studies and Planning — 3-133 Send your arts events to arts@tech.mit.edu.
What happened to Pu Pu Hot Pot?
Unless you are a freshman, you likely recall walking down Mass. Ave. toward Central and seeing for the first time the large white and blue sign that proudly declared “Pu Pu Hot Pot.” While I never set foot inside Pu Pu Hot Pot, when I saw that the banner had been replaced by a sleek new sign, I felt bereft. The walk to Central would never be quite as funny as it used to be. However, I had a hunch it might be tastier, as the new sign announced that a new restaurant would be taking its place, Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room. I love a good dumpling, and dislike going all the way to Chinatown to get good ones. The thought of homemade dumplings close by was incredibly enticing, so I headed over as soon as it opened.
An American version of The Magic Flute
Imagine Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder enlisting the help of a contemporary dramaturg to pitch their singspiel The Magic Flute to the American public. This unlikely premise was exactly what Boston Lyric Opera was going for with their world premiere of a new English adaptation of Mozart’s famous opera. Bolder than most, the new production featured a more comprehensive backstory, altered geographic setting, clearer symbolism, and delightful English lyrics. The stage décor was enchanting, the costumes eye-catching, and the singing breathtaking. 222 years after its premiere, Mozart’s opera sounds incredibly fresh in this ingenious reimagining, delivering its potent mix of jovial humor and nuggets of wisdom with a renewed vitality, and a surprising up-to-date relevance. Attending the BLO’s production of The Magic Flute made for a spectacular night at the opera, at once entertaining and inspiring.
When I dream of Jiro Dreams of Sushi
After every Netflix binge that inevitably includes an all-too-frequent viewing of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I am always left looking for a way to satisfy my cravings for raw fish. After determining that a flight to Tokyo isn’t the most efficient or economical option, I turn to the choices that Boston and Cambridge have to offer. If you too suffer from recurring bouts of hamachi withdrawal, I’d recommend giving either (or both) of my go-to places a try.
The Passion of the Capt’n
In case you have not seen the trailer — because if you have, you already know the whole plot — Captain Phillips is a movie about how Captain Richard Phillips (played by Tom Hanks) sailed a U.S.-flagged merchant ship, Maersk Alabama, too close to the coast of Somalia, and was hijacked by four Somali pirates with machine guns. The pirates were not too competent in the operation and had to abandon the ship, but not without taking the good Captain with them as a hostage. A few days later, the pirates were killed, and the Captain was rescued by a team of Navy SEALs. That’s it.
The pasta next door
After checking out one of the most famous Asian restaurants in Boston, I decided to try something totally different — a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant in the heart of Cambridge.
The beauty and terror of space
The film opens with sobering facts about space written on a black screen, while a sound like a rocket launching grows deafeningly loud, so it is clear from the very beginning that Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity will be merciless. But the brutal facts and gripping story are set against the incredible beauty of Earth as seen from space, with sleight-of-hand special effects, and gorgeously rendered scenes of sunrises and the northern lights from orbit.
Intricate art with a complicated story
On Wednesday Sept. 25, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) hosted A Celebration of Benin Kingdom Arts and Culture, an event in collaboration with the Coalition of Committed Benin Community Organization, to mark the opening of the new Benin Kingdom Gallery, which features rare art from the Kingdom of Benin in present-day southern Nigeria.
ARTS EVENTS Oct. 04 – Oct. 10
ARTS EVENTS Oct. 04 – Oct. 10 Friday (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.) SYRIA: The Mainstream Media and Its Role in the War, photo exhibit and discussion — E40-496 (5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) Architecture Computation Lecture: Paul Kaiser, “Drawing on the Past,” — 7-429 (7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) European Short Film Festival — 10-250 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Ipswich Moving Company presents GROUND, Aerial Dance Concert — Boston University Dance Theater, 915 Commonwealth Ave. Saturday (6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.) Comedy Night with Fuyun Chinese Comedy Club — W16-035 (7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) European Short Film Festival — 10-250 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) The Boston Composers Coalition presents: the female vocal quartet Anthology — Killian Hall (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Ipswich Moving Company presents GROUND, Aerial Dance Concert - Boston University Dance Theater, 915 Commonwealth Ave. Sunday (7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) European Short Film Festival — 10-250 (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.) International Folk Dancing — Sala de Puerto Rico Monday (12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.) Michael Wetter, “Quo Vadis Building Simulation: New Generation of Computational Tools,” — 7-429 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Charles Atlas: Instantaneous! and Everywhere? — E15-001 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Fantasies from Verdi’s Operas La Scala Chamber Orchestra — Kresge Auditorium (7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) Folk Music of the British Isles & North America — Killian Hall Tuesday (8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.) Contra Dance with live music by The Free Raisins — W20-491 Wednesday (7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Israeli Dance beginner’s night — Sala de Puerto Rico Thursday (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) Born Digital Lecture — E14-633 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Urban Films: Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle (2011) — 3-133 (7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Ampersand Concert Series — E15, Bartos Theater Send your arts events to arts@tech.mit.edu.
An interview with the Queen of the Night
This year, the Boston Lyric Opera (BLO), New England’s largest opera company, has an exciting season lineup. Their first production, a new English adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, marks the highly anticipated debut of soprano So Young Park, currently a student at the New England Conservatory (NEC). She will be interpreting the iconic role of the Queen of the Night.
Exploring the unknown spaces of the known
For the Los Angeles-based experimental musician Julia Holter, having creative blocks and receiving only sporadic artistic epiphanies does not seem to be an option. Her debut album Tragedy was released in 2011, immediately accompanied by the sophomore follow-up Ekstasis in 2012 and the third full-length album Loud City Song released this year. Keeping in mind that many critically acclaimed contemporary musicians take more than a few years between releasing their albums, it might be tempting to assume that Holter prefers quantity over quality. Yet, at only twenty-eight years of age, Holter — a musically-trained CalArts alumna — delivers stronger and richer material with each subsequent album.
Mapping Vietnamese sidewalk life and street vending
Last Thursday you might have noticed a red-tape line running through campus. The line ran from Lobby 7 up to the third floor Wolk Gallery for the opening of Sidewalk City, a mini-exhibit by Urban Studies Professor Annette Kim and her group SLAB, the sidewalk laboratory. The Tech caught up with Professor Kim about the new exhibit.
Love in the digital age
In his directing debut, Joseph Gordon-Levitt tackles the complex issues of our illusions about sex and true love. Gordon-Levitt also stars as the titular Jon Martello, nicknamed Don Jon by his friends for his ability to pull “dimes” every night at the bar.
Bringing jazz from all over the world to Boston
Each year in Boston’s South End, thousands of people — from all around Boston and all around the world, aged six to sixty — gather around for one reason: jazz. Tents line several blocks along Columbus Ave., with vendors for ethnic art pieces, t-shirts, cotton candy, and potato tornadoes. Most of the attention, however, is directed towards three stages, where rising jazz giants lay down the real goods on stage.
Presidential dilemmas
Take the T to Harvard Square, walk down Brattle Street just far enough to escape the loud bustle of tourists, and you will find yourself at the Loeb Drama Center, home to the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.). It’s difficult to imagine that such a star-struck theatre could exist on such a quiet street, but the building — a typical example of modern architecture, and easily overlooked — has housed many well-known names and acclaimed performances. Zachary Quinto played Tom in a staging of The Glass Menagerie that ran this April and March; in June, the A.R.T.’s production of Pippin claimed ten nominations and four wins at the 2013 Tony Awards. And on Sept. 20, I had the opportunity to view a play of similar casting and literary caliber: All The Way, written by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, and starring Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame.