Léna is also a Regional Manager for Writopia Lab whose mission is to foster joy, literacy, and critical thinking in kids and teens from all backgrounds through creative writing.

"Well, the question is, what do you want to believe? Do you want to live in a world where things are possible, or in one where they aren't?" Cin, Edges.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Life WAS a Cabaret at Studio 54

The irony was not lost on me as I watched Michelle Williams-as-Sally Bowles sing the title number from CABARET last night, capturing the essence of the whole play in that one song: What good is sitting alone in your room/ come hear the music play: the manic denial of the emergence of Nazi Germany and the denigration of difference, the seediness and despair that comes with secrets and living for instant gratification, the disquietude of hallucinating reality and the self-loathing that comes with it.

No use permitting some prophet of doom
To wipe every smile away.


Studio 54 was New York's answer to Berlin's Kit Kat club. Although we weren't on the brink of WW2, the late 1970's began a stark period of disillusionment with ideology - we had punk on the left with it's angry young men and anarchic message, and disco on the right with it's feel-happy vibe and exclusivity. (And obviously, all eras have their fair share of pills and liquor.)

The first time I went to Studio 54 on 254 West 54th Street was when I was fourteen, maybe fifteen. It was on one of those rare occasions when I was home from boarding school, and I was spending the night with one of my best childhood friends, who had moved from our neighborhood in Chelsea to Queens. One of her neighbors worked at Studio 54 as a bouncer, and had agreed to bring us to work with him, and take us back home. (Is this true Johanna? It's what I am mining from my memory . . .)

I "borrowed" my mother's chocolate brown Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress which made me feel like a grown up. We didn't drink, but we danced, and giggled and ogled. It definitely was the beginning of my fascination with nightclub culture and a particular kind of performance art throughout my late teens. I went from wrap dresses to vintage clothes, ripped jeans and combat boots, favoring Danceteria and CBGB's as a junior, to the Palladium, Limelight and Paradise Garage as a senior in high school and a freshman in college. (A true punk/disco baby!)


It became boring and even a bit scary - I saw Sally Bowles everywhere - and I didn't want to become one of those girls like her - a third rate performer in a sleazy nightclub who pops pills, drinks booze and sleeps with anyone and everyone, who mirrors the negative aspects of the world by destroying herself.

Michelle Williams embodied that Sally Bowles I was so scared of. She starts off fun and shallow, but god, does she become brittle and cracked by the end. Studio 54 didn't need to do much to make one imagine a seedy nightclub, but it did a fabulous job with the cabaret seating and staging. (And I could do a whole separate blog post about Alan Cummings but I'll leave you with one word: DIVINE.)

Ms. Williams as Sally had tears in her eyes as she was singing Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret!
and I did too - grateful for the memories, and grateful for my belief in mirroring the positive aspects of the world instead - not by being a Pollyanna, no, but by embracing life and all of it's primordial ooze.

30 comments:

  1. Well done post. I enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Taken food items parcels hinges on distinctive benefits this let your catch live to get long time around very low heat. dior outlet Oftentimes it’s very difficult to make sure which will different types of vinyl pictures are designed for icy settings plus those can’t. replica burberry handbags If perhaps you’re interested in cheap parcels method that you can buy, gucci outlet you actually will probably find themselves the purchase of a supplement that should neglect one method or another. louis vuitton outlet On the flip side, men with vision during ground breaking poly travelling bag brands were checking out types of methods to resolve all these challenges. rolex replica Just after reviewing a fabric for a molecular place plus using several integrates with resin, men with vision have developed your appealing merge who has greatly elevated a fantastic with baggage around freezer cooler uses. Why not try these problems to bear in mind to get prospective buyers with taken use poly flick in advance of getting a pay for: The best way puncture tolerant will be a person's freezer cooler baggage?

    ReplyDelete
  3. They can be completely similar shape and texture to louis vuitton replica use real products. Production nail and sequins, exquisite imitation. At last year's product, in addition, there are jewelry and beads, and other accessories. The very style handbags also produce ribbons and other accessories and decoration, in replica wallets addition has strict and proper treatment, do a good job of the details of the product in. As long as to buy chic replica handbags so the most appropriate your charm. It won't let you really feel sorry. At present, there are you like any brand of chanel replica handbags brand handbags market. For instance, style LV handbags, artist Prada leather-based bags, Chanel stylish purses.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It seemed that everyone fendi outlet she approached felt at ease. Her customers chanel replica were joking with her and amongst themselves. Every person she served was smiling. The replica louis vuitton atmosphere was light and happy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The process|The strategy} by which a salesperson maneuvers the prospect into a client is actually their abilities from the advertising trade designer replica handbags online. This approach is much more important than their market know-how Michael Kors Replica. Expertise basically shows you in which theyve hung their hat over time cheap gucci outlet. Revenue procedure may be the much far better predictor of methods theyll carry out for the agency.

    Some process-oriented topics to go after with sales candidates:

    -Have them walk you through their regular revenue method.
    -What does a good prospect look like in their existing role?
    -At precisely what point do they attempt to in close proximity to a prospect?.

    ReplyDelete
  6. info lengkap rumah dijual murah harga 100 jutaan silahkan hubungi RUMAH JAWA JOGJA

    ReplyDelete
  7. The articles write very well,i had shared it,hope the blogger can also visite my websites.
    Nike Air Max 90 Shoes
    Nike Free Flyknit 5.0 Shoes
    Nike LunarGlide 8 Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  8. These surely a great news because he have travel a lot to reach the chapter 2 book and the location was not good for the market but now the things are looking excellent. http://www.adventis.ca

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am impressed by your post. It contains very informative data and i gain a lot information from it. It is very useful for me. Thanks for sharing and keep on sharing that type of posts.

    Putlocker, megashare movies | Watch Suicide Squad online | Watch The Secret Life of Pets online

    ReplyDelete
  10. Getting acknowledged admonition for your annulment is a necessity. Acknowledged aid will divorce lawyer castle rock adviser you through the annulment activity and admonition you cope with the proceedings.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have bookmarked your blog, the articles are way better than other similar blogs.. thanks for a great blog!
    special info

    ReplyDelete
  12. Upon confirmation, he will be requested to support the check and the business will then store the sum, less every one of the findings and handling expense specifically to the financial balance. check cashing san diego

    ReplyDelete
  13. The staff arrives on time and the furniture is ready to be transported to private cars.
    Do not pack any piece of furniture or equipment before cleaning thoroughly with special detergents relied on by a furniture transport company in Riyadh.شركة نقل عفش
    شركة نقل عفش من الرياض الى الاردن
    شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الى الاردن
    شركة نقل عفش بتبوك

    ReplyDelete
  14. شركة نجوم المثالية لخدمات التنظيف الشامل ومكافحة الحشرات وتنظيف المكيفات بالدمام والخبر والجبيل والقطيف تعتبر من اعرق الشركات الموجودة في مجال النظافة ومكافحة الحشرات
    شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالدمام


    شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالجبيل


    شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالقطيف



    شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالخبر


    شركة مكافحة حشرات بالقطيف
    شركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمام



    ReplyDelete
  15. به دنبال افزایش جمعیت و نیاز به ساختمان سازی انبوه، ساخت مسکنی امن برای جمعیت رو به افزایش به عنوان دغدغه‌ای برای جامعه بشریت شناخته شده‌است. مسئله‌ای که در این زمینه موردتوجه سازندگان قرار گرفته است؛ استفاده از روشی برای ساخت و ساز با بالاترین سرعت و کمترین هزینه می‌باشد.

    پیشرفت علم در جوامع مدرن امروزی، تمامی صنایع را دستخوش تغییر و دگرگونی کرده‌است که صنعت ساختمان نیز از این قاعده مستثنی نیست و روش‌های متعددی به منظور بهبود و توسعه صنعت ساختمان پا به این عرصه نهاده‌اند؛ بطوریکه روش پیش ساخته سازی به عنوان بهترین و مناسب‌ترین روش شناخته شده‌است و توانسته با ارائه سازه‌هایی با کیفیت، جایگزین روش‌های سنتی شود.

    در فناوری پیش ساخته سازی، استفاده از مصالحی مدرن و آماده به عنوان رکن اصلی این روش بشمار می‌رود؛ لذا در راستای این طرح، استفاده متعدد از مصالح ساختمانی مدرن و آماده‌ی ساندویچ‌پانل در جای جای شهر به چشم می‌‎خورد؛ در این راستا لازم به ذکر است که کاربرد ساندویچ‌پانل با ویژگی‌ها و مزایای بیشمار، تنها به صنعت ساختمان محدود نمی‌شود.

    ساندویچ‌پانل که در گاهی مواقع ساندویچ‌پنل یا پانل ساندویچی نیز گفته می‌شود، از سال 1930 میلادی وارد صنعت ساختمان شده است و با مزایای بسیاری که در مقایسه با مصالح سنتی دارد توانسته از محبوبیت بالایی برخوردار گردد. برای معرفی ساندویچ‌پنل لازم به ذکر است که علت نامگذاری آن، ساختار لایه‌ای و شباهتش به یک ساندویچ همبرگر بوده‌است.

    انواع ساندویچ پانل
    ساندویچ‌پنل‌ها از همان ابتدا به منظور پوشش سقف و دیوار ساختمان‌ها تولید شده‌اند؛ بنابراین در انواع ساندویچ پانل دیواری، ساندویچ پانل سقفی و ساندویچ پانل سردخانه‌ای تولید و عرضه می‌شوند. ساختار تمامی انواع پانل‌ها مشابه یگدیگر است و تنها در شکل ظاهری و نوع کاربرد دارای تفاوت‌هایی با یکدیگر هستند.

    •ساندویچ‌پانل سقفی:
    انواع ساندویچ پانل

    از نوع سقفی این محصول، برای پوشش سقف سوله‌ها، سالن‌ها، انبارها، ورزشگاه‌ها، مرغداری‌ها، سیلو‌ها، سردخانه‌ها، سوله های صنعتی، ویلاهای پیش‌ساخته و... استفاده می شود. برای آشنایی بیشتر با
    ساندویچ پانل سقفی به صفحه مربوطه در وبسایت پانل آنلاین مراجعه نمایید.

    •ساندویچ پانل دیواری:
    تنوع پانل های دیواری افزون تر و متنوع تر از پانل های سقفی است و در مقابل فشار با مصالح سنتی برابری می کنند. ساندویچ پنل های دیواری به طور کلی به 4 دسته: دیواری ساده، دیواری قفل دار، دیواری نر و مادگی، ساندویچ‌پانل پیج مخفی، و دورو نایلون تقسیم می شوند. شما عزیزان برای آشنایی بیشتر با ساندویچ پانل دیواری می‌توانید به صفحه مربوطه در وبسایت پانل آنلاین مراجعه نمایید.

    ReplyDelete
  16. check out the post right here Get the facts he has a good point internet reference link

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.