![]() I had a grin on my face for a majority of its run time. And even as he pointedly includes a couple of songs with a political message-including one borrowed from Janelle Monáe in which the names of Black victims of police killings are repeated several times (“Say her name!”)-this show, on the whole, is one of electric joy. This is a unique individual, and his singing here is consistently impressive. I suppose some people back in the day might have written him off for how often he sort of shout-sings his lyrics, but he’s also a skilled lyricist, creating rhymes and melodies like no one else. This man is an exceptional live vocalist, even at the age of 68. The music industry flipped in the 21st century, with aritsts making virtually no money on album sales and making their fortunes on their touring-so long as they were able to bring it.ĭavid Byrne, clearly, has been the best of both worlds. A noticeable trait of this era was when live performances were broadcast on television, often making them sound even worse. In his heyday, musicians made their fortunes on album sales, and often phoned it in for live performances. ![]() I can only imagine how delighted true, longtime fans would be, because this presentation is nearly flawless.Īs it happens, Byrne hails from a time when it was not nearly as important as it is now, to sound good singing live. This show is a pure delight, from beginning to end-and I say that as someone who never much paid attention to The Talking Heads or David Byrne’s music. I truly hope these recordings of Broadway productions continues even after Broadway can actually open again, helping to bring live theater away from its status as the most elitist of all art forms.Īnd while I did spend a fair amount of time watching American Utopia thinking about how spectacular it would have been to see live, I sure was grateful to have the chance to see it at home. There is no doubt that seeing these shows live is a far better experience, but for the millions for whom that was always impossible, this is far, far better than nothing. What does make a difference is skilled filming of these live performances for in-home viewing, from the Independence Day Weekend release of Hamilton on Disney+ to, now, American Utopia on HBO Max. But considering the often insane expense of ticket prices, not to mention limitations of geography, for the vast majority of Americans, it literally makes no difference whatsoever. Annie-B Parson provides choreography and musical staging.It’s one of the many sad tragedies of 2020 that Broadway has been shut down for the vast majority of the year. Under the guidance of production consultant Alex Timbers ( Moulin Rouge!), the show features lighting design by Rob Sinclair, sound design by Pete Keppler, and musical direction by Karl Mansfield and Mauro Refosco. The company standbys are Renée Albulario, Alena Ciera, Chris Eddleton, Evan Frierson, Abe Nouri, and Natalie Tenenbaum. We are ready to have a good time!”ĭuring New Year's Week, American Utopia offers performances December 28 at 8 PM, December 29 at 8 PM, December 30 at 5 PM and 9 PM, January 1, 2022, at 5 PM, and January 2 at 3 PM.Īmerican Utopia features Byrne with band members Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan, and Bobby Wooten III. I know it’s going to be a 'once in a lifetime' experience, that will only be seen for a few performances. We are adding some songs by Talking Heads as well as songs from my solo catalog, that will supplement songs already in American Utopia. "What we are doing could be called Unplugged, or maybe Unchained. ![]() Unfortunately, they can’t come to the theatre for the next week or so, which means we’ve chosen to make some creative changes to enable us to put on a show. Watch a video message above from Byrne, who also said in a statement, “Fortunately, the vaccinated band members and crew who have tested positive don’t have severe symptoms and are staying home following the CDC guidelines. ![]() James Theatre December 28 with a modified program. Rather than canceling additional shows, Byrne and the American Utopia band will return to Broadway's St. David Byrne’s American Utopia-which officially opened its return engagement October 17-has been closed since December 22 with several members of the Tony-winning production isolated at home with positive COVID-19 test results.
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