LATEST NEW YORK TRIP: WTC, WAR HORSE, SPIDER-MAN,

Charles Amara
Linc: Exploring Museums of New York
Dr. Baxter
10/30/2011

On Saturday 29, 2011 the Exploring Museums of New York class travelled to New York City for a very interesting day of learning and entertainment by attending the Twin Towers and the City exhibition, as well as two Broadway musical features War Horse and Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. From the start both the weather and climate did nothing but bring a damper on the fun. The ungainly wind evolved into cold rain and snow that caused students to put on their gloves and take out their umbrellas. However the positives of the trip proved to outmatch Mother Nature. The first stop of the trip was made at the Museum of the City of New York, where the works of Camilo Jose Vergara transformed from extraordinary photos to a time vault. The photo exhibit was very grabbing because it was a distinctive look at the twin Towers of New York City. Shots of the towers through the years made the exhibit stand out from the fact that the pictures were not murals or canvas creations but ordinary pictures taken from the same locations at different points of time. An example of Vergara’s work included the history behind the Twin Towers, and their creation by a designer none other than Minoru Yamasaki. The third floor of 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street was filled with photos of hard to reach angles and beautiful perfection of locations and good use of space. Some of the photos range from the early 1960’s through September 11, 2001 when the towers fell. Some of the photos create an emotional connection with those who have lived in the city and gone through the social changes that New York brings, meaning the towers represent more than just buildings. The towers represent a social identity, an identity known as the big apple.

After the first swing at the Museum of the City of New York, the class had a great opportunity to get their imaginations rubbed with the help of War Horse. The musical, which took place at the grand locations known as the Lincoln Center Theatre at 150 West 65th Street, was a very surreal yet live performance. Presented with horses, war and the turmoil of friendship, War Horse was a spectacular way for people to look at the issues of conflict among humans and animals. The idea is that no live horses are used in the musical, only actors, props, and puppets.. At first speculations were made about the reality of the horses and how they would interrupt the thinking process of the viewers. However the originative designs created such a close connection because they were not simply puppets. The animals were breathing and making sounds. The animals, not puppets, were cleaver and very different from the average string puppets. Not only did the performance of the animals superb, but the story itself was something one could get very close with. The connection between the audiences and the story line made War Horse a must see musical.

After the beautiful message of friendship and ideality in War Horse took place, the class attended the Broadway sensation Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. Logically one thinks of comics and classic television shows when hearing Spider-Man. Although the musical stuck to some of the original Spidey foundations, it was mostly judge based on the music created by Bono of the music group U2. A lot of the students complained that the music was not up to par with what they were expecting. In some ways the fact that Bono created the score greatly elevates the expectations of what one could expect, and the truth is that the music is important but the overall experience is more important. The play brought great interactivity with the audience, mostly children and teens who found joy in seeing a man swinging from the balcony section. The musical focused on great design and accuracy for all the action events. Anything could have happened to the actors at any time, so it is very important to look at the aspect of art that deals with precision and mastery of one’s environment. The sets were of course very vibrant and very comic bookish, but this was all a part of the plan. The stage was rotating at different scenes, and a great deal of ropes and heights were used for the creation. All together the musical was exciting because of its buzz and attention making it a must see. But overall it was a simple musical and just another Broadway sensation. In conclusion, Wicked would have had a greater chance of “casting a spell” on the audience.