Director Jessica Grindstaff Talks Us Through Port(al), Her Innovative, Multimedia Collaboration With the Brooklyn Youth Chorus

When they first put their minds together a couple of years ago, Jessica Grindstaff and her creative partners on Port(al)—a sprawling, ambitious, innovative new collaborative production with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus that premiered this week at the Brooklyn Navy Yard—faced the kind of problem that certain artists always seem to relish. How could they do the impossible, and do it within some fairly precise constraints?
The task at hand: to inhabit, animate, investigate, and otherwise bring back to life the 35,000-square-foot Agger Fish Building, the only still-unrenovated structure in the Brooklyn Navy Yard ('There are holes in the walls that birds are flying in and out of,' Grindstaff says before a full-dress run-through earlier this week), and to tell a new story about not just a building, but also a port, a city, a country at war, a way of life.
While the kaleidoscopic team working alongside Grindstaff includes co-composer Paola Prestini (co-founder and artistic director of National Sawdust), co-composer and co-librettist Jad Abumrad (creator of the podcasts Radiolab and Dolly Parton's America), and co-choreographer Ogemdi Ude, the beating heart of Port(al) is the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, whose 44 members range in age from 12 to 18, led by founder and artistic director Dianne Berkun Menaker.

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Geek Vibes Nation

4 days ago

• Geek Vibes Nation

‘Charliebird' Review - A Soul Restoring Healing Journey

Healing comes in a myriad of forms. This is even true if you look at our medical system, deeply flawed as it may be. There are people working within these structures, with specialized degrees that most of us know nothing about, such as music therapists. This does not make the role that they play any less powerful or important. When we need them, they are there for us in ways that we cannot yet imagine. And even still, healing is deeper than that and not simply structured by letters after our names. Healers need healing just as much as the rest of us, and sometimes they need it more. It is a mistake to believe that anyone, even doctors or therapists, has it all together. Libby Ewing's first feature film as a director, Charliebird, is passionate, beautiful, and yes, healing. Ewing is wonderfully self-assured behind the camera and, working with Samantha Smart's script (and co-lead performance), has a mastery of both image and pace. Cinematographer Luca del Puppo is comfortable both in the standard shots in the hospital and the more dreamy, impressionistic moments of Al's (Smart) flashbacks. The way the film intercuts between the two, thanks to editors Perry Blackshear and Ewing, leaves us wondering where things are headed, but never in a frustrating manner. This film could easily be seen as simply a two-hander between Al and her patient, Charlie (Gabriela Ochoa Perez), but it is much more than that. Charlie is 17 years old and quite ill (as she has been for many years), but more than that, she is still a normal teenage girl and everything that this entails. She is both difficult and endearing in the space of a breath, and Perez treads the line with perfect balance. Despite the impressive script, with the wrong Charlie, the film loses what it needs most, empathy and kindness. One of the many ways that they achieve this is by staying away from clichéd moments between Charlie and Al. Yes, when Al first offers her services as a music therapist, Charlie pushes her away. But there is no excessive drama, no tears, no screaming; this is simply a young woman who has seen it all from the medical world, too much of it in fact. She has been forced, as a teenager, to reckon not only with her own mortality, but with what that loss will do to those around her. And Al, to her credit, takes this teenage behavior in stride, almost immediately becoming a solitary, trustworthy figure in Charlie's life. Charlie, of course, has parents (Maria Peyramaure and Gabe Fazio), but it is desperately important that she is introduced alone, for a few reasons. She is on the cusp of adulthood and, because of her condition, she cannot help but feel exactly that, alone. No friends, no family, and certainly no doctors can possibly feel what she is feeling. Not really. They can empathize, as we all hope we can, but lived experience is different, no matter how hard they may try. Although the film begins essentially with the two leads, it becomes much more than that, and again, without needless drama. Even moments of largess and shouting are toned down through a deeply effective sound design that somehow leads us to be drawn in closer, instead of putting us at a distance. This is similar to both Al and Charlie, the desire for closeness that they both have, even if they continue to deny it or, worse, completely avoid it. Al hides behind who she is supposed to be as a veteran therapist, and Charlie has her illness as a bit of a shield. As they both wonder exactly what is going on with the other, they meander their way to an understanding of themselves through one another and their burgeoning sisterhood. The narrative is a bit of a magic trick, given that Smart purposefully withholds easy answers and truths from the audience. Frankly, I found myself grateful, as any misstep in this area would lead to audiences rolling their eyes and recalling Patch Adams (which is referenced in a line of dialogue, showing keen awareness of this minefield). Yes, kindness, laughter, and empathy are all important parts of healing. But there is a science behind everything that Al is doing as a music therapist, no matter what the medical doctors may think or say. The aforementioned sound design, from Cindy Takehara Ferruccio, also blends perfectly with the musicality of Charliebird. Obviously, this is incredibly important, not only because of Al's profession, but also because of music's particular healing power. There is a deeper level of emotion accessible through instrumentation and voice that is absent from any other connective tissue of feeling. This is another area in which the film could have gone off the rails by casting an actress with a perfect Broadway voice. Al sounds like a real person, with a good voice, both when she is having fun with Charlie and when her singing is wracked with emotion. The growth of these two women and the emotions that they feel, both separately and together, is where Charliebird truly flies. In a festival packed with powerful stories, this is the one I will remember more than any other. The journey the two go on, and not simply the ending, is powerful, beautiful, and soul-restorative. Charliebird held its World Premiere as a part of the U.S. Narrative Competition section of the 2025 Tribeca Festival. Director: Melody C. Roscher Screenwriter: Samantha Smart Rated: NR Runtime: 98m

Yahoo

14-06-2025

• Yahoo

TODAY Dads on Working Dad Guilt and How They Make Family a Priority

The TODAY dads had an early Father's Day celebration with a heartfelt chat, some craft cocktails ... and even some friendly competition in New York City's Central Park. After Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Carson Daly, Willie Geist and Peter Alexander raced rowboats near Bethesda Fountain, they relaxed at the Central Park Boathouse, exchanged a few dad jokes and talked about fatherhood. Many of the anchors spoke about how becoming a father impacted their travel schedule for work. 'When the kids were younger, I was traveling a lot more than I do now. And this guy gave me some solid advice a few years ago,' Craig said, gesturing to Carson. 'You have to travel last minute and you miss some stuff, and you start feeling guilty about it. And Carson was like, 'It's not about quantity, it's about quality.' Make the time that you're there memorable,' Craig said. Together with his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, he is raising son Delano, 11, and daughter Sybil, 8. When Peter gets a call to travel somewhere on a Friday, all he can think about is wanting to be at home on the weekends with his family: wife Alison Starling, 11-year-old Ava and 10-year-old Emma. 'We're going to barbecue something, we're going to put on some Morgan Wallen. I have FOMO. I don't want to miss out on that,' he said. 'So I'm going to fly in the morning and fly back that night.' Before Willie had kids, he used to extend work travel to visit friends. 'The minute Lucie was born — so 18 years ago — it was like there was this homing beacon placed right in your chest,' he said. 'And the minute you were done with the interview or whatever it was, it was like, 'I got to get to the airport.'' The pull was even stronger once they added son George to the family, he shared. 'Well, we also do it because we can do it,' said Carson, who, along with wife Siri Daly, is raising four kids: son Jackson and daughters Etta, London and Goldie. Carson turned to Al and added, 'Your dad was a bus driver. He couldn't just take off.' 'My dad was just constantly working,' said Al. 'I remember a couple of times he would call us in and he says, 'Listen, Dad's got a chance to do some overtime. You're not going to see me tonight.' And he would sleep at the depot.' On the other hand, Al said that one of his fondest memories was when his dad would let Al ride the bus for eight hours while he drove. 'It was long before Take Your Kids to Work Day,' he joked. 'I used to hold it against my dad for a long time because he worked third shift as a mail clerk,' said Craig. 'It's not until you get older and you have your own children, and you have to work to provide for them that you understand the sacrifice, you know? But back then it was like, 'Oh, Dad's not at my Little League game.'' Each of the TODAY dads plans to spend this Father's Day in a slightly different way. Al, who is a father of three to Courtney, Leila and Nick and grandfather to Sky, Courtney's daughter, plans to spend the day at the grill while upstate with his family. 'It's funny,' said Al. 'Deborah (my wife) keeps saying, 'Why are you cooking?' I said, 'Because this is my happy place. I love to do this.'' 'God was smart. God put one of the four golf majors on Father's Day weekend,' Carson joked. 'So our United States Open will be on. I watched it with my father, and I will force my children to watch it with me. We'll have a fire burning in the fireplace, there'll be a cold beer involved. Definitely some barbecuing.' Willie shares that his Father's Day plans are 'up to the kids. So I don't know what I'm doing. But I do know that I'm lucky enough to have my father about 30 minutes away. I'll get to be with my kids and then we can all get in the car and go be with my dad. So that is a blessing.' For many dads, Father's Day is a day to 'peace out and go play golf, disappear till dinner,' Peter said. 'In our house, it's the opposite. Everybody's here. We're all together. I don't care what the plan is, we can do anything you like, we're just going to do it together.' 'As I get older, my favorite pastime is doing absolutely nothing,' said Craig. 'So I have asked my family to allow me to do absolutely nothing.' 'Or you just play (golf) really early,' joked Carson. 'I can be home by 9.' 'Wow. Now I guess we know what you're doing!' joked Al. This article was originally published on

Yahoo

13-06-2025

• Yahoo

‘Suited and booted'? Club World Cup lands in a furnace of political tension

You need a special glove to hold the key to the Club World Cup you know. You need a special glove to hold the key to the Club World Cup you know. Photograph: Mark Humphrey/AP BEHOLD: THE COPA GIANNI After years of existing only as a fever dream inside the shiny, spacious cranium of Fifa's greatest showman, Gianni Infantino, the first edition of an expanded, summertime Club World Cup that nobody asked for is finally here. Infantino's most ambitious vanity project to date is about to collide with reality, and as students of the Swiss school of football farce, we're excited. It's not so much a question of what will go wrong over the next 30 sun-baked days in an increasingly dystopian USA USA USA, but what might actually go right. Saturday's opener pitches Egyptian giants Al-Ahly (who qualified by winning the 2021 African Big Cup) against MLS middleweights Inter Miami (who qualified by having Lionel Messi in their team) at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium. Fifa has denied reports that fewer than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the game in Miami, but the tournament's dynamic pricing model is trending in one direction: from $349 in December, some tickets are now cheaper than $60. Advertisement In an effort to fill seats, local college students have reportedly been offered a multi-buy deal at $4 a seat. Other early highlights include Bayern Munich v Auckland City, an amateur side who claimed Oceania's only qualifying spot and may be hoping to avoid a baseball scoreline in Cincinnati. PSG v Atlético Madrid on Sunday might sound a more bearable prospect – but the game will be played in 30-degree heat at the Rose Bowl, a roofless arena on the outskirts of a city in turmoil. Donald Trump's response to protests against deportations in Los Angeles has been to send in the military; hosting glorified pre-season friendlies is the last thing on anyone's minds right now. It may come to pass that Gianni's great white elephant is obscured by the elephant in the room. LAFC, who face Chelsea in Atlanta on Monday, are a club with deep roots in their city's migrant communities. Earlier this week, their fans held a silent protest against ICE raids in the city during an MLS game. Suddenly, Liam Delap's potential debut is far from the biggest story in town. The main thing Infantino should be asking himself – save for where that bloody key has gone – is whether Trump's increasingly visible and emboldened hostile environment is a suitable backdrop to a global football jamboree featuring 32 teams from 20 nations. Long derided as a half-baked joke, the rebooted Copa Gianni has landed in a furnace of political tension – and suddenly doesn't seem so funny any more. On the eve of the tournament, US Customs and Border Protection have confirmed they will be 'suited and booted, ready to provide security for the first round of games,' in a social media post that could scarcely have sounded more ominous. Fifa's best chance of any kind of atmosphere at this month's matches will come when Latin American sides meet, attracting expat fans – like River Plate v Monterrey at the Rose Bowl, for instance. Now, the only people in America who actually want to go and watch these games might fear what awaits them at the venue. 'It's perfectly reasonable to be scared,' the American Immigration Council told Reuters. 'We haven't seen large-scale immigration enforcement actions at sporting events like this historically, but this is also a moment that is not like any other in US history.' Good job there's not a 48-nation World Cup taking place there in exactly 12 months' time, then. Wait, what's that? Oh, Gianni! QUOTE OF THE DAY The time has come for me to move on. But, even as I leave, I know I have left a big piece of my heart at Brentford, not just at the football club but with the community and, of course, the incredible and loyal supporters. For my family and I, it has been a privilege to be allowed to be part of such a special community – it's an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life' – Thomas Frank pens a love letter to Brentford fans after racing round the North Circular for a different kind of adventure at the Cirque du Spurs. FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS On the dawn of the 'it doesn't matter what you call it, it's a disgraceful monstrosity that shouldn't exist', can I make a plea that we just ignore it? I mean, I know any reputable sports writer, or someone who has to knock out The Daily, can't, because of journalism etc, but surely, the 1,057 can keep the letters section free of any mention of the wretched thing. C'mon folks, pedantry, nostalgic whimsy, godawful puns and lengthy diatribes about the state of it all suffused a sense of powerlessness and angst. We've got this. Maybe still go easy on the puns' – Jon Millard. Good luck to Crystal Palace fans, if Woody Johnson does buy John Textor's shares (yesterday's News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). The Jets are an absolute clown show and have been so forever. Johnson is generally regarded as the stupidest owner in the league, and there's admittedly tough competition. So, yeah, could be fun in south London' – Joe Pearson. Re: Trent Alexander-Arnold's fluent unveiling (yesterday's Football Daily). I assume Florian Wirtz will be busy reading and learning his scouse in time for the new season' – Kevin Quinn. When the new manager of Spurs inevitably reproduces his appalling starts suffered at his previous clubs, will the headline be 'Frank's side bottom', accompanied by an image of Thomas's spherical fibreglass head?' – Peter McHugh. Advertisement If you do have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Kevin Quinn, la. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. RECOMMENDED ASKING Is there anything you have always wanted to ask the USWNT and former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes? Then now is your chance. ABSOLUTELY IFAB-ULOUS Sweden has given us so much: Björn Bjorg, Abba, flat-packed furniture, Volvos, Zlatan, meatballs, herring and, um [snip! – Football Daily Lazy Stereotypes Ed]. And now we can add an amendment to the offside laws to that impressive list. Yep, Swedish third-tier side Torns IF have changed the laws of the game after 'gentle persistence' in exploring an offside loophole. Football's law-making body, Ifab, has amended the text of the offside law to prevent players from doing something they would never do in a million years anyway. Advertisement The change comes after Torns IF, from the speck on a map that is Stångby near Malmö, wondered whether a player could get around the offside law by keeping the ball balanced in the crook of their foot. Yep. A video showing Torn trying to put their 'scoop pass' trick into practice went viral in 2023 and provoked lengthy correspondence between Torn and Ifab, who tried to dismiss the query but then found it 'amusing' and agreed to review the wording of the law. David Elleray, the former Premier League referee and one-time schoolmaster who is technical director of Ifab, wrote to Torn and thanked the club 'for your part in this clarification' and 'for your gentle persistence in this matter'. Torn's Tim Nielsen, said it felt 'absolutely fantastic to have contributed to the rules of the beautiful game', adding: 'Ifab required some convincing, but we got there in the end.' NEWS, BITS AND BOBS Liverpool have agreed a potential £116m deal (£100m plus add-ons) to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. Insert pun about him not being the Wirtz ever signing here ... Tottenham have filed high court proceedings against Manchester United co-owner Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company Ineos over a terminated sponsorship agreement. Advertisement Goals from Harvey Elliott, Jonathan Rowe and Charlie Cresswell propelled England's Under-21s to a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic, getting their European Championship defence off to a decent start. Uh oh, there could be another multi-club operation on the scene. Burnley's owner Alan Pace is in advanced talks to buy a stake in Espanyol. Sigh. USA USA USA winger Christian Pulisic has defended his decision to skip the Gold Cup and slammed those questioning his commitment as 'way out of line'. He fumed: 'I just don't understand why so many people are so big on just wanting to give out these [hot] takes when they've been through tough moments themselves.' Real Madrid have won the race to sign tricky playmaker and teen sensation Franco Mastantuono from River Plate on a six-year deal. Advertisement And the Scottish FA is 'always scanning to see [which managers] are available', according to its chief suit Ian Maxwell. Current head coach Steve Clarke's contract expires at the end of June 2026 and Scotland aren't going to manage themselves, you know. STILL WANT MORE? Thomas Frank is a traditionally slow starter so will need time to turn around Tottenham Hotspur or Spurs. But will he get that time? Jonathan Wilson wonders aloud. While John Brewin looks at what's in Frank's Tottenham in-tray. Former Spurs stopper Hugo Lloris is thriving across the pond with LAFC and will relish the chance to upset Chelsea in their upcoming Copa Gianni tussle, writes Joseph D'Hippolito. Advertisement But in yet another Copa Gianni blow, there are fears that extreme heat during the tournament could pose a danger to fans and players, reports Paul MacInnes. Trent Alexander-Arnold hit all the right notes in his Madrid unveiling, notes Sid Lowe. 'I think it surprised a lot of people,' tooted 'Trent' of his fluent Spanish. Palmeiras's billionaire president Leila Pereira gets her chat on with Caio Carrieri about being the only female chief suit at the 32-team Copa Gianni. And Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa? Bryan Mbeumo to join Frank at Spurs? The Rumour Mill delves into the latest dose of transfer dreck. MEMORY LANE November 1999 and Paul Merson is lining up a free-kick for Aston Villa Reserves during their match at Loughborough University. The students remarkably led 2-0 at half-time against a team containing the £18m trio of Merson, Stan Collymore and Mark Draper, before being hauled back to draw 2-2. 'Hey Dazz,' someone shouted to the Loughborough coach, 'Doug Ellis will be calling you next.' YEARNING FOR RESERVES FOOTBALL