Latest news with #Dionysos
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Please don't fart, this is art' – Stephen Sondheim's musical The Frogs review
The interval playlist includes Crazy Frog, which isn't by Stephen Sondheim. But the composer's own springy numbers are the best reason to catch this rarely seen musical based on ancient Greek satire. Aristophanes, writing at the fag end of a protracted war, conjures demigod Dionysos, accompanied by Xanthias, his slave ('though I prefer 'intern''). He braves the underworld to reclaim a dead genius, picking Aeschylus over Euripides. The musical's Dionysos considers George Bernard Shaw, but eventually plumps for Shakespeare. Originally staged at Yale in 1974 (Sondheim: 'One of the few deeply unpleasant professional experiences I've had'), it was expanded for Broadway in 2004 (Sondheim: 'It suffered from inflation'). The extended version takes a jape too far. We open with the best number: a fanfare plus jaunty injunctions to the audience ('Please – don't fart. / There's very little air and this is art'). Dan Buckley's droll Dionysos and Kevin McHale's Xanthias, all wriggle and snicker, begin their quest, though Burt Shevelove's book makes scenes feel more like skits. Herakles (Joaquin Pedro Valdes) is a himbo totting up his abs, the boatman Charon (Carl Patrick) a lugubrious stoner and Pluto, lord of the underworld, has a breathy cabaret number delivered by regal guest star Victoria Scone in a brushed steel bouffant. The musical never develops Dionysos' daddy issues or frog phobia, or nails its notion that the ribbiting amphibians represent stick-in-the-mud grouches impervious to change. The frogs get a waddling ballet, in goggles, bobble toes and spangly waistcoats – choreographer Matt Nicholson devises nifty, wide-legged moves. But Shaw's battle with Shakespeare, trading smug aphorism and voluptuous word-painting, is an awful slog, unleavened by Georgie Rankcom's heavy-footed production. 'You can stop rhyming right there,' snaps Dionysos, but it would take more than a testy god to halt Sondheim, for whom rhyme was reason. 'Hippy-dippy insurrectionists' meet 'hasty pasty-faced perfectionists,' while a song to Shaw moves from animosity through pomposity to verbosity. Melancholy songs also slide between the shtick (Sondheim has a bittersweet tooth). The god's final call to arms can't give gravity to this show – but however stodgy the setting, the songs still shine.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Athenaeum is a green oasis in sun-soaked Athens
In Athens' white-washed, sun-baked urban-scape, The Athenaeum is a beacon of green freshness. After all, 2,500 plants drip from the face of the newest 5-star hotel in the Greek capital. The greenery grows in irrigated planters attached to an exoskeleton on the conveniently-located, seven-storey, white building — a short walk from the National Gardens, the touristy Plaka neighbourhood of shops and restaurants and the iconic Acropolis. The Athenaeum / Supplied The Pasithea rooftop bar and restaurant has views of the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus and Mount Lycabettus. We'll be constantly surprised at The Athenaeum's lavishness — and simplicity. The lobby of the 52-room boutique hotel is minimalist and artsy with marble floors, white walls, two check-in counters that double as big cubes of abstract art and a huge monitor behind the check-in projecting constantly changing art. The first thing we notice when we step into our deluxe suite on the fifth floor is the purple-and-gold swing chair hanging from the ceiling. It's a whimsical instalment we absolutely have to test drive multiple times. The room itself is minimalist chic, with hardwood floors and king-size bed in white linens oriented to the soundproof, floor-to-ceiling windows with views over the National Garden to peek-a-boo glimpses of the Temple of Zeus, Acropolis and Mount Lycabettus. The Athenaeum / Supplied The 52-room hotel's entrance and lobby. The bathroom is Dionysos marble with a hydro-massage bathtub and separate rain shower. Our suite has handy proximity to the rooftop plunge pool and Pasithea restaurant, both of which also capitalize on the aforementioned views. At Pasithea we indulge in Greek dishes with a twist — chef Evangelos Nikas's red pepper oil tzatziki and shrimp in saffron sauce with Greek rosé wine from Chateau Nico Lazaridi. The Athenaeum is named after the building sacred to Athena, the Greek goddess of war and wisdom and the patroness of Athens. How apropos. Old Tavern of Psarras / Supplied The Old Tavern of Psarras has been serving up delicious food in Plaka since 1898. While The Athenaeum is a destination in itself, Athens, the city, beckons. So, we start to wander the historic capital — the birthplace of classical civilization — without an agenda. You don't really need an agenda to savour buzzy Athens. First, swing by Syntagma Square to see the hourly changing of the presidential guards in front of the parliament buildings and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's a spectacle as the Evzones guards march and prance their way through the exercise wearing a kilt-like tunic, tasselled Farion cap, stockings and shoes with pom poms and brandishing a M1 Garrand rifle. Steve MacNaull / Free Press The seven-storey facade of The Athenaeum boasts 2,500 plants. The seminal and emblematic Acropolis seems to have a gravitational pull, so we automatically start to walk there. It's because the can't-miss Acropolis is the highest hill in the centre of Athens and is crowned with the ruins of the instantly recognizable 2,472-year-old Parthenon. We simply admired it, eyes skyward, from every angle as we circumnavigated the Acropolis through the hillside neighbourhood of Plaka. Of course, you can be more organized and pre-book tickets to get past the gates at the Acropolis to visit and hear the blow-by-blow history of the Parthenon. But Kerry and I prefer to freestyle it, soaking up maximum vibe with a minimum of historical facts and dates. The Athenaeum / Supplied A junior suite at The Athenaeum. Plaka is village-like with its narrow cobblestone streets and stairways lined with shops and authentic Greek tavernas spilling down steps. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Although it's a tourist trap, it doesn't feel like it when we stop at The Old Tavern of Psarras — the oldest restaurant in Plaka, dating from 1898. Its tables are tiered down wide steps for perfect Plaka atmosphere, city views, people watching and, of course, traditional Greek food and wine. Think tzatziki with crusty bread, Greek salad with shiny, plump black olives, fried calamari and dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) washed down with local white wine Orinos Helios Semeli. For more info, check out Steve MacNaull / Free Press The ruins of the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis is Athens' most emblematic attraction. smacnaull@ Steve MacNaull / Free Press Take in the changing of the guard near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Greek parliament. Steve MacNaull / Free Press The Pasithea restaurant features five neon-lit statues, including Discobolus (the Greek discus thrower). Steve MacNaull / Free Press A swing chair in The Athenaeum's deluxe suite is a whimsical touch.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Three ancient gods meet in London, with a little help from Mumbai
Three ancient gods—rarely seen side by side—are now quietly holding court at the in London. from India, from Egypt, and from the Roman-Greek world stand together in a compelling new display. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They received some help finding their voice from a team thousands of kilometres away in part of an ongoing global partnership between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) and the British Museum, this London showcase builds on last year's landmark 'Ancient Sculptures: India, Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome' exhibition at CSMVS. This exhibition posed fresh questions about the divine, beauty, and nature. The London exhibit picks up where it left off and takes those conversations to a wider global result is a small but compelling display co-curated by Joyoti Roy, assistant director (projects and public relations), and Vaidehi Savnal, curator (education and public programmes) of CSMVS, alongside Thorsten Opper of the British Museum. "From amongst the objects loaned by the British Museum for the exhibition in Mumbai, Dionysos and Sekhmet were most apt," say Roy and Savnal. "They are shining examples of sculptural traditions in their respective regions. To this mix, we added a beautiful sculpture of Vishnu from the Pallava period, which exemplifies some of the principles of Indian iconography and sculptural tradition." Together, the trio of sculptures go beyond the usual textbook comparisons of how different ancient societies imagined their Savnal puts it, "We explored how different cultures represented the human form, used animal features symbolically, or dressed their gods."The cross-institutional project was not just a long-distance handover. "After a few virtual meetings, our team travelled to London to view the sculptures in person," Savnal recalls. "We worked closely with the British Museum team on every detail—layout of the gallery, object placement, wall colours, graphic design, fonts, and even the choice of languages."What is also special about the exhibit is that it's bilingual in English and Hindi. This method—what they refer to as global co-curation—invites curators from different parts of the world to ask new questions of familiar objects and to rethink how stories are told. "Unlike Egypt and Greece, India's sacred sculpture tradition is still alive. That creates a different kind of engagement for both believers and non-believers," says a way of seeing that values curiosity over chronology. Instead of leading with history or academic context, the team started with what a visitor might instinctively wonder. "Why do Greek gods wear slippers? Why do Indian gods have so many heads and hands?" they ask. Many of these questions came up naturally during conversations between Indian and international curators, who were often looking at unfamiliar material for the first sense of exchange shapes the heart of the display. "We felt it was our responsibility to do three things. First, help visitors identify and acknowledge these sculptures as gods. Second, help them understand how these images were revered in other cultures. And third, show what's similar or different when seen beside Indian divine images," says how does this kind of partnership rebalance how stories of the ancient world are told? "For the last ten years or so, under the museum's director general Sabyasachi Mukherjee's leadership, the museum has been working hard to bring world art to Mumbai," says Roy. "We've made it happen through long-term—and often quite complex—partnerships with leading museums around the world." That effort, she adds, has made sure Indian audiences, especially in Mumbai, aren't left out of the global art conversation. "Most of these objects may still be in Western museums, but CSMVS has gone all out to bring important exhibitions here," she says. "It's taken serious fundraising, involvement of specialists, and the entire museum staff to make it happen."Their aim, the curators say, has always been to let audiences experience original world art up close because seeing the real thing, they believe, is what truly "transforms their understanding of world history." After all, as they put it, "Digital images alone can never do justice."
