Even if this is held over - which is very probable - it will likely be available on dvd soon after April 1st.
For those within a couple of hundred miles, it would, no doubt, be worth the drive to the City.
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The Tallest Tree in the Forest
NY PREMIERE
Mar 22—Mar 29, 2015
Performance dates & times
LOCATION:BAM Harvey Theater
RUN TIME: Approx 2hrs (with intermission)
TICKETS START AT $25
BUY TICKETS
Prices subject to change. Gallery seating is only accessible by 70 stairs.
Part of 2015 Winter/Spring Season
Tectonic Theater Project
Written and performed by Daniel Beaty
Directed by Moisés Kaufman
"A must see!"
—The Examiner
Legendary performer and political activist Paul Robeson is celebrated in song and story by Daniel Beaty (Emergency, The Public Theater) in this bravura solo play, directed by Moisés Kaufman (The Laramie Project Cycle, 2013 Winter/Spring). Seamlessly incorporating photos, audio, and video footage, The Tallest Tree in the Forest captures Robeson’s multifaceted history—from football heroics, to triumphs on Broadway and London’s West End, to radical politics and McCarthy-era defiance. With unflagging energy and incisiveness—and performing a stunning rendition of “Ol’ Man River”—Beaty sheds light on one of the 20th century’s most dynamic lives.
Music direction, incidental music, and arrangements by Kenny J. Seymour
Set design by Derek McLane
Costume design by Clint Ramos
Lighting design by David Lander
Sound design by Lindsay Jones
Projection design by John Narun
Dramaturgy by Carlyn Aquiline
http://www.bam.org/theater/2015/the-tal ... 7Aod9XwAfg
The Tallest Tree in the Forest
-
oldecapecod11
- Posts: 1054
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:45 am
- Location: Cape Haze, Florida
The Tallest Tree in the Forest
"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
-
oldecapecod11
- Posts: 1054
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:45 am
- Location: Cape Haze, Florida
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW
Review: Daniel Beaty as Paul Robeson in ‘The Tallest Tree in the Forest’
By CHARLES ISHERWOODMARCH 24, 2015
Photo
Daniel Beaty in "The Tallest Tree in the Forest," at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Credit Julieta Cervantes for The New York Times
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyShare This Page
The lives of actors often contain heady highs and dispiriting lows, so fragile is their hold on the public’s imagination and their access to the levers of power in the industry. But the story of Paul Robeson, the great African-American performer who achieved international fame in the 1920s and ’30s, only to be condemned for his political beliefs and branded a Communist during the witch hunts of the ’50s, is a particularly egregious example of a star falling at warp speed.
The extraordinary arc of Robeson’s life and career is resurrected with grace in “The Tallest Tree in the Forest,” an engrossing solo show written and performed by Daniel Beaty, and directed by Moisés Kaufman. In the production, which can be seen through Sunday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Mr. Beaty portrays Robeson and various men and women who cross his path, including his father, his brother and his wife, nearly 40 roles in all. He is joined by a trio of musicians who provide able accompaniment for his accomplished renditions of songs associated with Robeson, most memorably “Ol’ Man River,” with which he opens the show. That song, from “Show Boat,” is perhaps the one most linked to Robeson, although he didn’t originate the role of Joe in the Broadway production of “Show Boat” but was recruited to star in the London version, which made his name. (He later starred in the 1936 movie.)
As Mr. Beaty’s finely wrought play reminds us, Robeson almost didn’t become an actor or singer at all. He was raised by his father, a minister and a stern taskmaster, to achieve academic success; he was reading Homer’s “Odyssey,” in Greek, at home. (“But Pop,” chirps the young Robeson, “we didn’t finish ‘The Iliad.’ ”) Born in New Jersey, he won a scholarship to Rutgers, becoming only the third black student to attend, and later graduated from Columbia Law School. But in a scene illustrating the racism prevalent even in Yankee country in the 1920s, Robeson is told by his superior at a law firm that he will be allowed to work only behind the scenes, because clients would not be comfortable having a black man represent them in court. The fiercely proud Robeson bridles at this prospect, and he leaves law.
His voice, a marvelously rich baritone, became his breadwinner, as the Harlem Renaissance brought new interest in black culture from New York society. Robeson began giving recitals in the parlors of the city’s elite, including the writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten. Embarking on an acting career, he landed a starring role in Eugene O’Neill’s “All God’s Chillun Got Wings.” (We don’t hear of his equal success in the revival of O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones.”)
Continue reading the main story
But it was in London, in “Show Boat,” that Robeson achieved his greatest renown. Racism, of course, did not stop at the edge of the Atlantic. In a stirring scene, Mr. Beaty dramatizes the humiliations that Robeson faced even in London, where he was embraced by society but denied entry to the Savoy restaurant one night. Although he was welcomed there frequently, on this particular occasion the management didn’t want to risk upsetting the Americans who happened to be dining.
Mr. Beaty, whose previous solo shows include “Emergence-SEE!,” seen at the Public Theater, has a commanding presence and a voice powerful enough to suggest the near-legendary richness of Robeson’s. The voice also contains enough various colors to allow him to embody both men and women persuasively, notably Robeson’s loyal wife, Eslanda, who also worked as his agent and was a guiding force in his career. Mr. Beaty strikes an even balance between straight narration and dramatized scenes, keeping the show from stalling in puddles of exposition.
The production is fluidly staged by Mr. Kaufman on a spare set by Derek McLane, with projections by John Narun evoking the historical background. Although Mr. Beaty obviously has immense respect for Robeson, the play does not present the artist as a man free of blemishes. We learn of Robeson’s affairs with the English actress Peggy Ashcroft, who played Desdemona opposite him in London, and the American Uta Hagen, who played the same role in New York later on.
Robeson also miscalculated when he agreed to star as an African tribal chief in a movie called “Sanders of the River” that was greeted with outrage at its portrayal of Africans; Mr. Beaty’s script quotes The Times of London as writing that Robeson’s performance “shows how barbaric the African people are and how difficult it is for the English to govern savage races.” (Robeson blamed the film’s editing.)
His political awakening was a gradual process, but a trip to the Soviet Union, at the personal invitation of the filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, was a notable turning point. At a train station in Berlin, where the Nazis had already risen to power, Robeson was harassed for traveling with a white woman (his wife’s skin color was light), which made his warm reception in the Soviet Union the more striking in contrast.
“Here in the Soviet Union, I am not a Negro but a man,” he explains in Mr. Beaty’s rendering, although on a later visit he is disturbed to discover that the Jewish friends he had associated with were being imprisoned and killed. (Mr. Beaty also includes the uneasy truth that Robeson refused to speak against the Soviet regime, despite this knowledge.)
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
When the Cold War gained intensity in the 1950s, Robeson became a prime target for the F.B.I. and was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Acting opportunities in America ended abruptly, few would hire him to sing and he was stopped from pursuing his career abroad when his passport was revoked for several years.
With much ground to cover — including Robeson’s long campaign against lynching — “The Tallest Tree in the Forest” can sometimes make abrupt or confusing transitions. We switch suddenly from Robeson’s anger at being summoned before the McCarthy hearings in 1956 back to his discovery of Hagen in 1943, for instance. And some of the writing can be stilted.
But over all, Mr. Beaty shines an illuminating light on the life of an important American artist who was an equally significant activist, well before the advent of the civil rights movement. Robeson’s stature seems mightier than ever in retrospect. Paradoxically, the tree seems taller from the perspective of distance.
The Tallest Tree in the Forest
Written by Daniel Beaty; directed by Moisés Kaufman; incidental music and arrangement by Kenny J. Seymour; music direction by Shelton Becton; sets by Derek McLane; costumes by Clint Ramos; lighting by David Lander; sound by Lindsay Jones; projections by John Narun; dramaturgy by Carlyn Aquiline; production stage manager, Craig Campbell; production manager, Don Gilmore; assistant director, Timothy Koch; dialect coach, Julie Foh. A Tectonic Theater Project, Mr. Kaufman, artistic director; Tiffany Redmon, interim executive director; Liz Olson, general manager; presented by Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alan H. Fishman, chairman of the board; Karen Brooks Hopkins, president; Joseph V. Melillo, executive producer. At the Harvey Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 651 Fulton Street, Fort Greene; 718-636-4100, bam.org. Through Saturday. Running time: 2 hours.
WITH: Daniel Beaty (Paul Robeson).
A version of this review appears in print on March 25, 2015, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Paul Robeson And a Life Of Drama.
Review: Daniel Beaty as Paul Robeson in ‘The Tallest Tree in the Forest’
By CHARLES ISHERWOODMARCH 24, 2015
Photo
Daniel Beaty in "The Tallest Tree in the Forest," at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Credit Julieta Cervantes for The New York Times
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyShare This Page
The lives of actors often contain heady highs and dispiriting lows, so fragile is their hold on the public’s imagination and their access to the levers of power in the industry. But the story of Paul Robeson, the great African-American performer who achieved international fame in the 1920s and ’30s, only to be condemned for his political beliefs and branded a Communist during the witch hunts of the ’50s, is a particularly egregious example of a star falling at warp speed.
The extraordinary arc of Robeson’s life and career is resurrected with grace in “The Tallest Tree in the Forest,” an engrossing solo show written and performed by Daniel Beaty, and directed by Moisés Kaufman. In the production, which can be seen through Sunday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Mr. Beaty portrays Robeson and various men and women who cross his path, including his father, his brother and his wife, nearly 40 roles in all. He is joined by a trio of musicians who provide able accompaniment for his accomplished renditions of songs associated with Robeson, most memorably “Ol’ Man River,” with which he opens the show. That song, from “Show Boat,” is perhaps the one most linked to Robeson, although he didn’t originate the role of Joe in the Broadway production of “Show Boat” but was recruited to star in the London version, which made his name. (He later starred in the 1936 movie.)
As Mr. Beaty’s finely wrought play reminds us, Robeson almost didn’t become an actor or singer at all. He was raised by his father, a minister and a stern taskmaster, to achieve academic success; he was reading Homer’s “Odyssey,” in Greek, at home. (“But Pop,” chirps the young Robeson, “we didn’t finish ‘The Iliad.’ ”) Born in New Jersey, he won a scholarship to Rutgers, becoming only the third black student to attend, and later graduated from Columbia Law School. But in a scene illustrating the racism prevalent even in Yankee country in the 1920s, Robeson is told by his superior at a law firm that he will be allowed to work only behind the scenes, because clients would not be comfortable having a black man represent them in court. The fiercely proud Robeson bridles at this prospect, and he leaves law.
His voice, a marvelously rich baritone, became his breadwinner, as the Harlem Renaissance brought new interest in black culture from New York society. Robeson began giving recitals in the parlors of the city’s elite, including the writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten. Embarking on an acting career, he landed a starring role in Eugene O’Neill’s “All God’s Chillun Got Wings.” (We don’t hear of his equal success in the revival of O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones.”)
Continue reading the main story
But it was in London, in “Show Boat,” that Robeson achieved his greatest renown. Racism, of course, did not stop at the edge of the Atlantic. In a stirring scene, Mr. Beaty dramatizes the humiliations that Robeson faced even in London, where he was embraced by society but denied entry to the Savoy restaurant one night. Although he was welcomed there frequently, on this particular occasion the management didn’t want to risk upsetting the Americans who happened to be dining.
Mr. Beaty, whose previous solo shows include “Emergence-SEE!,” seen at the Public Theater, has a commanding presence and a voice powerful enough to suggest the near-legendary richness of Robeson’s. The voice also contains enough various colors to allow him to embody both men and women persuasively, notably Robeson’s loyal wife, Eslanda, who also worked as his agent and was a guiding force in his career. Mr. Beaty strikes an even balance between straight narration and dramatized scenes, keeping the show from stalling in puddles of exposition.
The production is fluidly staged by Mr. Kaufman on a spare set by Derek McLane, with projections by John Narun evoking the historical background. Although Mr. Beaty obviously has immense respect for Robeson, the play does not present the artist as a man free of blemishes. We learn of Robeson’s affairs with the English actress Peggy Ashcroft, who played Desdemona opposite him in London, and the American Uta Hagen, who played the same role in New York later on.
Robeson also miscalculated when he agreed to star as an African tribal chief in a movie called “Sanders of the River” that was greeted with outrage at its portrayal of Africans; Mr. Beaty’s script quotes The Times of London as writing that Robeson’s performance “shows how barbaric the African people are and how difficult it is for the English to govern savage races.” (Robeson blamed the film’s editing.)
His political awakening was a gradual process, but a trip to the Soviet Union, at the personal invitation of the filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, was a notable turning point. At a train station in Berlin, where the Nazis had already risen to power, Robeson was harassed for traveling with a white woman (his wife’s skin color was light), which made his warm reception in the Soviet Union the more striking in contrast.
“Here in the Soviet Union, I am not a Negro but a man,” he explains in Mr. Beaty’s rendering, although on a later visit he is disturbed to discover that the Jewish friends he had associated with were being imprisoned and killed. (Mr. Beaty also includes the uneasy truth that Robeson refused to speak against the Soviet regime, despite this knowledge.)
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
When the Cold War gained intensity in the 1950s, Robeson became a prime target for the F.B.I. and was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Acting opportunities in America ended abruptly, few would hire him to sing and he was stopped from pursuing his career abroad when his passport was revoked for several years.
With much ground to cover — including Robeson’s long campaign against lynching — “The Tallest Tree in the Forest” can sometimes make abrupt or confusing transitions. We switch suddenly from Robeson’s anger at being summoned before the McCarthy hearings in 1956 back to his discovery of Hagen in 1943, for instance. And some of the writing can be stilted.
But over all, Mr. Beaty shines an illuminating light on the life of an important American artist who was an equally significant activist, well before the advent of the civil rights movement. Robeson’s stature seems mightier than ever in retrospect. Paradoxically, the tree seems taller from the perspective of distance.
The Tallest Tree in the Forest
Written by Daniel Beaty; directed by Moisés Kaufman; incidental music and arrangement by Kenny J. Seymour; music direction by Shelton Becton; sets by Derek McLane; costumes by Clint Ramos; lighting by David Lander; sound by Lindsay Jones; projections by John Narun; dramaturgy by Carlyn Aquiline; production stage manager, Craig Campbell; production manager, Don Gilmore; assistant director, Timothy Koch; dialect coach, Julie Foh. A Tectonic Theater Project, Mr. Kaufman, artistic director; Tiffany Redmon, interim executive director; Liz Olson, general manager; presented by Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alan H. Fishman, chairman of the board; Karen Brooks Hopkins, president; Joseph V. Melillo, executive producer. At the Harvey Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 651 Fulton Street, Fort Greene; 718-636-4100, bam.org. Through Saturday. Running time: 2 hours.
WITH: Daniel Beaty (Paul Robeson).
A version of this review appears in print on March 25, 2015, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Paul Robeson And a Life Of Drama.
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"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
This board is titled Football Talk, right? 
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oldecapecod11
- Posts: 1054
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:45 am
- Location: Cape Haze, Florida
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
For the ill-informed:
There were a number of football pioneers who went on to achieve both fame and greatness in other fields.
The continuing popularity of this presentation (almost annually) is simply a testament to one of those men.
If you don't like it, don't have it read to you. Simple!
There were a number of football pioneers who went on to achieve both fame and greatness in other fields.
The continuing popularity of this presentation (almost annually) is simply a testament to one of those men.
If you don't like it, don't have it read to you. Simple!
"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
-
rhickok1109
- Posts: 1482
- Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:57 am
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
Robeson was a two-time All-America at Rutgers and played with Akron Pros and Milwaukee Badgers of the APFA.rockhawk wrote:This board is titled Football Talk, right?
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oldecapecod11
- Posts: 1054
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:45 am
- Location: Cape Haze, Florida
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
Thank you, Ralph.
Foolish me! I thought most who visit here were aware on his accomplishments on the gridiron. Obviously not.
Foolish me! I thought most who visit here were aware on his accomplishments on the gridiron. Obviously not.
"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
It was a joke. R-e-l-a-x!
What, you're the only one that gets to gripe 24/7?
What, you're the only one that gets to gripe 24/7?
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oldecapecod11
- Posts: 1054
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:45 am
- Location: Cape Haze, Florida
Re: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
Ill-informed is not a joke. It is sad.
The fact that you are here is good - hopefully, willing to learn.
I am usually quite relaxed and will look in on your progress from time-to-time.
Good Luck!
The fact that you are here is good - hopefully, willing to learn.
I am usually quite relaxed and will look in on your progress from time-to-time.
Good Luck!
"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister