David Adamson: Well I started as a traditional printer, a lithographer, but in the late '70s I started to get interested in computer and computer technology, and I basically looked for a way to bring the two together, the traditional printing and the computers. I bought one of the first digital printing machines that was available–from the Israeli army. Made for satellite pictures. We adapted that to be able to print photography. So that was by about 1993, I opened my first studio, that was all digital. So that's how we got into that.

WCP: You've worked with Lou Reed before?

Adamson: Yes, I've done, oh I think I've done about four different shows for Lou that have been at different venues over the past... I think we've been working together for about five years.

WCP: And what was it like working with him, and how have you seen his work progress?

Adamson: Well, I mean obviously it's been a real honor and treat to be able to work with Lou Reed, because he was one of my heroes growing up. You know, and so to be able to work with him one on one in a totally different vein that had nothing to do with music but was imaging, it's been just a great experience. He's really really passionate about the technology and about the cameras and photography. He's very knowledgeable. We talk all the time about this sort of stuff, you know, and so it's been really great just seeing how we've gone in the past five years from where we started, basically, which was non-digital, we would've been scanning film and making those images to being, now, a totally digital show.

WCP: What other photographers' influences can you see in Reed's work? Has that changed at all from when he first started?

Adamson: You know, he's actually one of the few people that I really don't see that he's affected or influenced by too many people. I mean, he's got a lot of friends that are brilliant, like Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Ralph Gibson, all of these are his friends, which are great photographers. But I think Lou kind of goes his own way, and is quite happy to sort of just go that way, not really try and be or do anything except what makes him happy.

WCP: "Romanticism" is promoted as a response to industrialization and globalization, which are corollaries of technological advancement. It's  interesting then that Reed chose to shoot and print digitally.

Adamson: Well in a way this is the greenest form of printing there is. The inks we use are, they're pure, natural pigment. The paper is rag paper that's been recycled and reconstituted. There's no chemicals used. So it's a very environmentally sound method that we use. Also digital–no film, no silver, no waste. You know, so in that sense, the technology involved in this is really cool.

WCP: As a fan of Reed's music, do you see any parallels with his photography?

Adamson: Yeah. I think "Perfect Day," if you listen to "Perfect Day" you could look at any one of these and hear that song. I mean, you know, as opposed to some of the darker songs or the heavy metal stuff that he does, this is more like "Perfect Day," yeah.

WCP: Are these [photographs] arranged in any specific way?

Adamson: They're arranged in an order that he wanted to see them in. So, in his mind there's a certain sequence and a story that's going on, yeah.

WCP: And how closely did you work with him over the course of preparation for this exhibition?

Adamson: Oh we've been working on this project now for probably two years, editing and looking at stuff. You know, I'd go up in the studio and we'd look at stuff and pick stuff out, and I'd make proofs and it is a to and fro, and then of course it turned into a book [Romanticism]. So we took some of those images from the book. So it's been a continuing process.

WCP: How did you select the images that you were going to show from the book?

Adamson: Well out of the book we pretty much picked everything, except some of the crops and the closer edits. So I tried to put as much in as I could that was in the book.

WCP: And these photographs weren't shot in infrared or in black and white, so what is it, what was used?

Adamson: It's more than that. He had a camera that was particularly customized, that sees in a wavelength that the normal cameras do not see, and I think you can see that in some of the imagery. And Lou is a very... I mean he sees and he hears things in a very different way than most people. And so, you know, when he takes his photograph it's like this is how he really sees it. That's how he feels.

"Romaticism" is on view Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m., through September 4 at Adamson Gallery, 1515 14th St. NW, Suite 202. (202) 232-0707.

Friday

• Jazz in the Sculpture Garden @ The National Gallery of Art. 5-8:30 p.m. Jazz saxophonist Marty Nau has performed with the National Symphony and backed up Dizzy Gillespie and Rosemary Clooney.
• Back to the Future @ Gateway Park. Dusk. Part of the 2009 Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival's "I Love the '80s" theme.
• Epic Dance Party w/ DJ Doc Rok @ the Rock and Roll Hotel. 9:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. +21. Rok's stated goal is "to leave you in a breathless, sweaty mess" after an endless blitz of hipster-approved electronica, indie rock, and hip hop.

Saturday

• Salute to Apollo: The Kennedy Legacy @ the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. 8 p.m. A musical tribute to spaceships = kinda lame, but not when Chaka Khan and Buzz Aldrin are involved. Aldrin and Scott Altman host the NSO perfromance, with guests Denyce Graves, Jamia Nash, the U.S. Army Chorus, and... CHAKA KHAN. Although the performance is free, tickets are required and will be distributed from 10 a.m.-noon in the Hall of Nations. Two tix per person, first come, first served.
• Broadway Across America presents Space Panorama @ the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Creator Andrew Dawson uses just his hands and expressive visage to recreate the events of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, set to Dmitri Shostakovich's 10th Symphony. A discussion follows the performance. Tickets are required and may be reserved ahead of time via the box office or by phone (202-467-4600). Tickets are not available online.
• Lawrence of Arabia @ The National Archives Experience, William G. McGowan Theater. Noon. The 1962 film was nominated for 10 Oscars, and won seven. It's Bedouins vs. The Turks! Peter O'Toole vs. Omar Sharif! And, a break from space-related celebrations.

Sunday

• This Land Is Me: Alcatraz Is Not An Island @ National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater. 12:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. The documentary chronicles the prison/island's occupation by the group Indians of All Tribes from 1969-1971, until the government forcibly put an end to the "Red Power" demonstration. Director James M. Fortier's film captures the uprising's immediacy through interviews and footage taken by the occupants.

Photo of Apollo 11 mission insignia by dbking, Creative Commons Attribution License.

Thursday

• Fort Reno w/ Imperial China, FFFever, The Key Blanks. 7:15 p.m. A D.C. institution, and one of the best ways to spend a summer evening. Especially with tonight's lineup.

Friday

• Sparrow, part of the 14th Annual Hong Kong Film Festival @ Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium. 7 p.m. The film fest opens with Johnnie To's 2008 comedy about pick-pocketing rakes who get cut by a sharp female con artist. The festival runs through August 23 and includes films by Wong Kar-wai and Tsui Hark, among others. Tickets are required and will be distributed one hour before showtime, first come, first served.
• Whartscape 2009 kick-off concert @ Baltimore Museum of Art front steps. Noon. B-more art collective Wham City's annual music fest is a must for experimental music fans. The festival runs through Sunday, July 12.

Saturday

• Hip-Hop Theater Festival. The final day of the festival offers arts & crafts, performance, and a b-boy/b-girl exhibition for all ages at noon at the Benning Park Recreation Center.
• Feedback Dance Party @ DC9. 9 p.m. As a one-year anniversary gift from DJ Stereofaith to D.C. revelers, free entry and free Red Bull vodka cocktails for all, before 10 p.m. After the one-hour window of literal free-loading, admission is $8.

Sunday

• Gallery Talk & Film @ the National Gallery of Art. At 11 a.m., Lecturer Alexandra Gregg explains "Multiverse," artist Leo Villareal's light sculpture in the underground walkway joining the Gallery's East and West buildings. At 4:30 p.m., Leon Hirszman's Cannes jury prize-winning film They Don't Wear Black Tie, about a working class couple's shambolic road to matrimony screens in the East Building Auditorium as part of Le Festival Des 3 Continents. Seating is first come, first served. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
• NSO Summer Music Institute Orchestra @ the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. 6 p.m. Musicians ages 15 to 20 perform works by Glinka, Stravinsky, and Dvorák.

July 20: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

More dates and trailers after the jump.

July 27: Dog Day Afternoon

August 3: On The Waterfront

August 10: Rebel Without A Cause

Although "disillusionist" David London's joke-tricks seemed zany and conjured more from thin air than traditional magic, the MC's outside-of-the-box repertoire was on point considering what lay ahead. I wasn't sure what to expect from last night's premiere of Mash-Ups, Group E, at the Source, but it sure wasn't "Peanut!"

London and a number of other artists had nine months to collaborate and create the 20-minute performances. It's an unfortunate fact, since the prospect of watching the pieces take shape in real time is a pretty compelling concept. I might be wrong, but if you've met before, it's not a blind date (which is the premise of the mash-ups).

Small matter, however, for the evening's fare proved varied enough for adventurous theatergoers. London had assured us that this night would never happen again (even though Group E performances are scheduled for July 3 & 5 at 8 p.m.) and after he successfully welcomed and baffled his audience, down came the fourth wall.

The three Mash-Ups in Group E question individuality and isolation, refusing to let the audience sit back and relax. Choreographer Vincent E. Thomas carries Listening..., a monologue/film/dance piece involving Sigmund Freud, an aborigine, and a rooster's definition of "self." The jolting, joyful, and timely Unscheduled Track Maintenance combines PS24's folk-hop and the nagging hypothetical "What if?" Hallmark Dreams is a polyester cloud-coated modern dance piece by Kelly Mayfield that begins more engaging than it ends, even with the by-then-expected audience participation.

Divulging details would spoil the experience, but a word of caution to the painfully shy: Avoid the front row. You will be brought into the act. You will be made to feel uncomfortable. You will enjoy yourself. And that's the triumph of Mash-Ups; it's a refreshingly demanding blind date between the audience and the performers, more than between the performers themselves.

DCist also reports that films will screen Mondays through August 10, starting with Close Encounters of the Third Kind on July 20.

"We will have Screen on the Green this summer," Rauch said in an interview with Washington City Paper. "And if we don’t, we’re gonna have 16,000 people with DVD players and iPhones sitting on the mall, in a flash mob or something. We’ll find a way."

Inspired by President Obama's successful grass roots campaigning, Rauch started the Facebook group "Save Screen on the Green!" in May, shortly after HBO announced it was pulling the plug due to lack of co-sponsorship.

Obama haters and skeptics of new media organizing take note. The Facebook group has picked up nearly 2,500 members and launched a letter writing campaign. All of which, says Rauch, have made him HBO's go-to D.C. contact.

“I’ve been in direct communication with their Screen on the Green coordinator," he says. "I’m, in a way, the local connection for them on this."

Rauch has been checking in with HBO and referring interested local sponsors to the company's Screen on the Green representative for negotiations. Surprisingly or not, HBO is just as intent on keeping SOTG alive as Rauch and his contacts. So far, HBO still needs a co-sponsor to put up the remaining $150,000 for SOTG.

“It seems like HBO has been working with some people," Rauch says.

"They’re working with the National Park Service to make sure that they can find dates that are in a series of times that are good for showing—I think they wanna get five movies in at the minimum. It’s a lot of logistics that HBO is working on with Park Service."

Now it's just a matter of finding that co-sponsorship.

After a fruitless e-mail blitz on everyone from Lockheed Martin to AT&T (“Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were pretty quick to tell us to stop e-mailing them"), Rauch turned to Facebook group members for help. Peppering his pleas with Obama-like buzz-words "community," "initiative," and "advocacy," Rauch see's direct appeals to members' own companies and employers as the best bet to save SOTG.

"Someone that worked for Booz Allen Hamilton got a meeting with some of their head honchos to try to promote this in addition to our e-mails," Rauch said. "Unfortunately, they couldn’t commit to it."

Currently, Rauch has no local committed investors. But, in addition to HBO's SOTG rep, he is working with the D.C. Film Alliance. Rauch's latest initiative, designing and selling "Save Screen on the Green!" T-shirts to raise money and awareness, is in the works. He's hoping the Film Alliance will help.

"I’m just a regular citizen," Rauch said. "I don’t have a corporate bank account where I can protect people's money when they buy something from me, like a T-shirt. But the film alliance would be able to do something like that."

Selling shirts and writing letters may seem ineffectual to some, but, according to Rauch, maintaining a presence and building a community of SOTG advocates is most effectual.

"We’re not going to start seeing a protest and a march down the street of our Facebook group," Rauch said. "In fact, I think what makes the Facebook group effective is we have almost 2500 in just our Facebook group alone–strength in numbers."

Rauch said he is expecting a phone call from HBO early next week with "news." He urges people to join the SOTG Facebook community for updates about the T-shirt initiative and the status of SOTG.

"I think it's patriotic for people to get involved and support SOTG," Rauch said. "It’s the only film festival that is in the nation’s back yard. It’s just important—it's free, and in a place that’s just inspiring."

In the meantime, keep practicing the HBO dance.

With the lamented demise of Screen on the Green, the 2009 National Theatre Summer Cinema series is one of the few free film events left in D.C. This year's series honors philanthropist/diamond-, husband-, and Oscar-collector (Butterfield 8, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) Elizabeth Taylor.

The series–"Who's Afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?"–kicks off June 22 with Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, the 1958 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play about the family dynamics between an ailing southern patriarch (Burl Ives), his alcoholic, limp-mannered son (Paul Newman) and his attention-starved daughter-in-law (Taylor). All films are screened Mondays at 6:30 p.m., in the Helen Hayes Gallery of the National Theatre. Tickets will be distributed 30 minutes before show time, first-come, first served. Full schedule after the jump.

June 22

• Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives; directed by Richard Brooks.

June 29

• National Velvet (1944), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury; directed by Clarence Brown.

July 13

• BUtterfield 8 (1960), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Lawrence Harvey, Eddie Fisher; directed by Daniel Mann.

July 20

• Giant (1956), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Dennis Hopper; directed by George Stevens.

July 27

• A Place in the Sun (1951), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters; directed by George Stevens.

August 3

• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis; directed by Mike Nichols.

Photo: Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

- Terminator Salvation: "I'll be back... again and again and again..." And again. Yep, Warner Bros. thought a fourth film about post-apocalyptic crusading cyborgs would be perfect for summer 2009. This time around, it's 2018 and Edward Furlong's John Connor has matured into resistance-leader Christian Bale. Helena Bonham Carter makes an appearance and Common joins the quest to rally nuclear holocaust survivors and save the world.

- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: Lovable night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is back, this time a successful inventor who returns to his old post at New York's Museum of Natural History where the curator, played to perfection by Ricky Gervais, tells him that many of the old exhibits are being shipped to the Smithsonian, for storage or destruction. Daley races to D.C. where he's joined by Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams)—and eventually everyone in the Air and Space Museum—on a heartwarming journey to save old friends and defeat the evil Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria).

- Every Little Step: Wanna know what it takes to dance on Broadway? Filmmakers James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo were allowed unprecedented access to the auditions for 2006's revival of A Chorus Line. The resulting documentary weaves archival audio and footage into video of the '06 the audition process in an inspiring revelation of the love, sweat, and tears poured into casting and producing one of the most beloved American musicals.

- Dance Flick: Yet another send-up of pop cultural detritus, courtesy of the Wayans brothers. The plot in a nutshell: Aspiring stars Megan (Shoshana Bush) and Thomas (Damon Wayans, Jr.) overcome their differences (she's privileged, he's from the "wrong side of the tracks") to realize their dreams. Dance flicks spoofed include Save the Last Dance, Flashdance, and Step Up.

- The Brothers Bloom: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, and Mark Ruffalo power this "indie" film with a Juno-sized budget. Stephen (Ruffalo) and Bloom (Brody) are skilled conmen about to pull off their last job. The target: quirky heiress Penelope Stamp (Weisz). Together they travel the world in an elaborate effort to swipe millions from Stamp, with whom Bloom falls in love and complicates the con.

- The Girlfriend Experience: Adult film star Sasha Grey stars as a high-end call girl with the clothes, class, and capitalist savvy to back her $2,000 per hour price tag in Steven Soderbergh's film. But staying on top of her game becomes an endless struggle, juggling responsibilities to her "continuing education" classes, personal trainer boyfriend (Chris Santos), and clients.

- Summer Hours: Olivier Assayas’ brilliant meditation on French nationalism and globalization chronicles the death of one generation and the rise of the next. When the Marly family's matriarch dies, she leaves the estate—brimming with coveted works of art—in the care of eldest son Frédéric (Charles Berling). It's up to him to keep his mother's collection intact for generations to come, but he meets more than a little resistance from expat siblings (Juliette Binoche, Jeremie Renier) and disaffected children.

I had an inkling Zac Efron was meant for something more than the part of Troy, the face that launched a thousand and one puberties as the stereotype flouting High School Musical leading man. It was a sneaking suspicion of inevitability spurred by his August 2007 Rolling Stone cover, a G-rated yet suggestive enough shot, which seemed to say "I'm going to take over Hollywood's high school romcom/dramedy niche market. Your daughters (and, perhaps, sons) are powerless against my sculpted, spray-tanned abs." I'm sure parents and offspring alike sighed at the sight of Efron–'rents remembering David Cassidy, kids the way Troy gazed at leading lady Gabriella.

So when my roommate suggested we seek refuge from last week's deluge in the theater with 17 Again, I was curious to see if Efron's ridiculously pretty face could contort and show emotion–actually act–or if he was just the latest teen tart to be pimped by Disney. Turns out, Efron's pretty good. Pretty damn good.

In the film's cheesy-on-purpose opening, where a cheeky Efron jumps from the sidelines of the most important basketball game of his high school career and into a toothy-grinnin', booty-shakin' pre-game cheer with the squad (complete with ripaway pants finale), it's clear Efron knows he owes his role as Mike O'Donnell in Burr Steers' (Igby Goes Down) film to his turn as Troy in Disney's HSM . What's more, this new Efron is eager to laugh at the old Efron with the rest of us. By the end of the film, with Efron believably bawling about high school sweethearts, Guns 'N' Roses concert tees, and second chances to an overshadowed Leslie Mann, I couldn't believe that my opinion of the film, more so of Efron in the film, was going to be positive.

Boy's packin' some seriously delicious chops, and Hollywood's noticed. In writing Efron's entry in "The 2009 TIME 100", Claire Danes recounts working with the 21-year-old back in 2008 on the yet-to-be-released film Me and Orson Welles–sympathizing with the hordes of screaming girls and likening their object of desire to Leonardo DiCaprio. (In the May 2009 issue of GQ, Efron talks about DiCaprio inviting him to lunch, asking questions of the young actor and imparting wisdom.) More interesting, however, is that Danes calls Efron's performance in the film "breathtaking."

But few are likely to see Efron's star rise in Me and Orson Welles, at least not any time soon. Despite wrapping in 2008, the film–directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock) and based on the book by Robert Kaplow–has been languishing in the festival circuit. Despite rave reviews from SXSW and Toronto Film Festival screenings, the film has yet to snag a distributor. In September, however, the film will have another shot at attracting a distributor when it plays at the 2009 Woodstock Film Festival.

Me and Orson Welles' dogged release is, at least, humorously ironic. In the film, Efron plays bored high schooler and aspiring Broadway star Richard Samuels (familiar?), who, during a chance meeting with Orson Welles, sweet talks his way into the role of Lucius in Welles' production of Julius Caesar. Cue the sex, lies and betrayal as Samuels navigates the fickle waters of fame and gets burned–badly–in the line of Caesar costar and love interest Sonjia's (Danes) firey ambition. In GQ, Efron gushes about idol Paul Newman and pines for serious roles, and to be taken seriously in return. Like Samuels, Efron's ambition–and frustration –is palpable. He may be the next best, brightest young actor, the next DiCaprio, but until Orson Welles sweet talks its way into some sort of distribution deal, Efron will likely languish where he is right now: On the cusp.

Since the announcement, reporters and bloggers have done much speculating and unpacking of the motivations for Obama's appearance. From across the pond, the Daily Mail reports:

While most of the people on The Tonight show will promote a film or record, Mr Obama will be pushing his economic rescue plan for America.

Critics accused him of dumbing down the presidency and of blurring the line between politics and entertainment.

But White House press spokesman Robert Gibbs said the show provided a 'unique audience' for the President to get his message across.

'We don't look at it as a process of demonstrating the President's sense of humour,' he said.

Rather, it was a chance 'to explain the economic situation we are in'.

The article's tone is skeptical of Obama's forced, frequent reassurance to penny-pinching, hand-wringing Americans. But the Prez's move to chat with Leno also meets criticism closer to home. President Bush's (the 41st) speechwriter Mary Kate Cary believes "Obama's Jay Leno Tonight Show Gig Will Diminish His Presidency":

The president sets the tone of the conversation in America. As much as President Obama would like to be a man of the people, a "regular guy," he's not anymore. His job description encompasses being Commander-in-Chief, leader of the Executive Branch of government, and Head of State. He's "The Leader of the Free World." Doing Jay Leno lessens the stature of the office, and diminishes the man. On Leno, he becomes just one more talk show guest, a celebrity on the circuit promoting his latest movie or book. It's a decision that speaks volumes about Obama's approach to the office.

Cary projects that the "calculated judgment" of going on the Tonight Show will hasten the end of Americans' honeymoon with our new Commander in Chief.

Indeed, Obama's been hard-pressed as of late to court those hopeful Americans who voted for him. As such, "He has to be very careful about his tone," Washington Post media columnist Howard Hurtz told CNN, "because if he yuks it up too much and seems to be having too good a time, it will be quite a contrast there with the pain the people are feeling with the crumbling economy."

All I know is that tonight will be the first time in... well, ever, that I give Jay Leno and the Tonight Show my undivided attention.

Americans often associate Africa with human rights violations, impoverished villages, and, more happily, the roots of America's best-loved musical traditions. Innovative filmmaking? Not so much. But for the past four years, AFI Silver Theatre's presentation of the New African Films Festival has celebrated the vibrant artistry behind African cinema. Informed by cinéma vérité, European new wave tradition, and indigenous culture alike, films range in origin from Morocco to Mauritius—a testament to Africa as a heterogeneous continent. The Theatre's fifth annual showcase opens tomorrow night, with the first features in a week of films fit to shatter the myth of African art as ossified artifact.

Thursday, March 19

• 13 Months of Sunshine (US, 2007, 98 min.) - Director Yehdego Abeselom's film explores identity, love and the American dream from an Ethiopian standpoint. Expect ample clashing of cultures.
• Shoot the Messenger (UK, 2006, 90 min.) – With an opening line like "...everything bad that has ever happened to me has involved a black person," Nigerian-British director Ngozi Onwurah's film inevitably courts controversy, as well as discussion and insight.

Friday, March 20

• Divizionz (Uganda/South Africa, 2007, 91 min.) - This festival-vetted film about four aspiring hip-hoppers from the Kampala slums is directed by the Yes! That's Us Ugandan guerilla filmmaking collective.
• Transes (Morocco/France, 1981, 90 min.) – Filmmaker Ahmed El Maanouni's documentary follows Cassablancan musical group Nass El Ghiwane on the road and backstage. Fellow music documentarian Martin Scorsese called the group "the Rolling Stones of North Africa."

Saturday, March 21

• Touki Bouki (Senegal, 1973, 85 min.) – Djibril Diop Mambéty's debut feature film about a young man and his girlfriend who engage in petty crime to fund relocation to Paris is an arthouse classic.
• Wrestling Grounds/L'Appel des Arenes (Senegal, 2006, 105 min.) – Director Cheikh Ndiaye ventures into the world of Senegalese wrestling via 17-year-old Nalla, roving from nightclubs and ancestral ceremonies to the streets where athletes dance-off to boom-boxed beats.

The 2009 New African Films Festival runs from March 19-25. Tickets $15. ($12 AFI members opening night.)

Photo: Shoot The Messenger's David Oyelowo. (BBC Films)

Roz White, Jahi Kearse, and Gia Mora in Cool Papa's Party (photograph by Colin Hovde)

In Cool Papa's Party, director and author Thomas W. Jones II exhumes the life and times of showbiz legend and original hipster Sammy Davis, Jr. This séance of a Vegas variety show is both a charming love letter from one entertainer to another and a fast-paced history play that sometimes leaves contemporary audiences—strangers to hepcats scatting at the Sands and sharkskin suits sipping martinis at The Flamingo—in the dark.

In "Top Cat," which smacks of Judy Blume wisdom, the titular character (played by Jahi Kearse) parks it at the edge of the stage and sings a heartfelt appeal to God, theoretically the "heppest" cat this side of eternity. in the first sign that this is not an all-ages production, Cool Papa's earnest plea for divine guidance elicits snickers from the irreverent, under-35 crowd. But things get a little murkier from there.

The litany of historical references and period lingo preference an audience who has either lived through the era or studied it, meaning that strangers to Vegas history will find Cool Papa's hard-knock-life narrative as hard to follow as his mercurial love life. In an effort to make his production more accessible, Jones peppers Cool Papa's Party with summarial monologues, during which Kearse's Cool Papa reflects on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But decoding what is essentially Civil Rights-themed slam poetry requires a lot of critical listening and inference-making on the part of the audience: The flow is tremendous and the allusions playful and amusing—but tune out for a second and next thing you know, Cool Papa is inexplicably cupping his left eye with one hand and whipping out an eye patch with the other, later proclaiming "It's my party, and I'll cry out my one eye if I want to!"

Cool Papa's Party is more than just a running history lesson set to immaculate jazz (courtesy of composer, keyboardist and onstage conductor William Knowles)–it's also a fantastic coupling of choreography and narrative. In "The List," Cool Papa shrugs off blacklisters lined up in front of a giant American flag, and delivers the zinger, "I can't get any blacker than this!"–ramping up the musical's rumblings of double consciousness. In "I'm Gonna Be The One," Cool Papa's two-timing, womanizing ways are on display as he's confronted by his newest wife and "the other woman," who–along with dancers in mini dresses and knee-high gogo boots–compete for Cool Papa in a psychedelic dance number.

The seven capable cast members deliver knockout performances that almost make the audience forget that they're in a converted lumber warehouse in Alexandria instead of at The Sands in Vegas (assuming they know what the Sands is). And though his method of conveyance needs tweaking, Jones' sprawling musical touches on sophisticated national and personal identity issues, like second-class citizenship and an American brand of patriotism wrapped in idolatry and bigotry.

Cool Papa's Party at MetroStage, 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria. (703) 548-9044. www.metrostage.org. $40-$45. Runs through March 15.

]]> http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/02/23/cool-papas-party-at-metrostage-review/feed/ 0 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/02/22/the-oscars-what-to-expect-from-the-shorties/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/02/22/the-oscars-what-to-expect-from-the-shorties/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:07:34 +0000 Hilary Crowe http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=16968 For City Paper's Oscar liveblog extravanganza, be sure to check out Tricia Olszewski's Oscar coverage!

In the modern film world, producers of short films have few of the mass distribution options afforded the makers of Benjamin Button or WALL-E. But comparing the nominated feature films with the nominated shorts, it's the unfamiliar faces behind those 15-minute bursts of brilliance that truly deserve to win big this year. And the nominees are…

Live-Action Shorts

• Auf Der Strecke: Screenwriter/directo Reto Caffi's film follows a German department store security guard who falls for a bookshop clerk. Rolf follows the object of his CCTV voyeurism from screen to screen, bookshelf to till, and clocks out in time to share the same train home from work with her, where he again watches her from a distance. But one night, she boards the train with another man, a few fights take place, and Rolf makes a fateful decision that changes the way his love interest sees him, and the way he sees himself. In it's 30–minute runtime, Auf Der Strecke has more suspense, subtle character development and gorgeous cinematography than most of the feature nominees.

• Manon on the Asphalt: When a car sends Manon, on her way to meet her boyfriend, flying from her bicycle to the cobbled street, she narrates the events immediately following and leading up to her death. How will the paramedics identify her? Who will call her friends and mother? What are they doing when they answer the phone–or don't? What was the last thing she said to her mother? This French short from writers/directors Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont is a light take on heavy introspection.

• New Boy: Perhaps the most relatable of all the nominees in this category, Roddy Doyle's short story turned Steph Green's short film chronicles the fist day of a new African student's fist day in an Irish grade school. Weaving flashbacks of sun-soaked African schooldays with his father/teacher into the gray, unfamiliar first day narrative, Green's film is a 10-minute lesson in tolerance, patience and, ultimately, new friendship.

• The Pig: When a Danish elderly man is checked into hospital for surgery "in the butt," as he so readily reveals to any and everyone, he develops a strange fondness for a banal painting of a pig. But although the pig is on par with the Mona Lisa for him, when his Muslim roommate moves in for surgery, the removal of the pig painting snowballs into a clash of cultures.

• Toyland: In 1942 Germany, a woman tells her young son that their Jewish neighbors and friends, the Silbersteins, are leaving tomorrow for Toyland. He vows to go with his best friend's family, even though his mother tells him he cannot. When her son is missing the next morning, the young, single mother runs to the train station to save her son from the Silberstein's fate. Writer/director Jochen Alexander Freydank tells a tale of deception, mistaken identity and sacrifice both heartwarming and heart-rending.

Animated Shorts

• This Way Up: This characteristically British short marries dark humor with slapstick comedy as an father-and-son-undertaker-duo try their darndest to transport an elderly woman's casket from home to grave. "Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble," is the film's tagline. The men battle flattening boulders, thorny heaths, and dancing skeletons on the River Styx on what turns out to be an eerily touching bonding trip. The animation is a mix of Pixar's immaculate CG style and Disney exile Tim Burton's creaky, lanky and gaunt graphics a la Jack Skellington. With plenty of Presto's intelligent slapstick, Oktapodi's lovingly arduous journey and Lavatory-Lovestory's sophisticated characterization, Adam Foulkes and Alan Smith include all the positives of their fellow animated nominees in their wholly original short.

• Oktopodi: This French nominee offers a comic look at invertebrate love, and the lengths the octopi will go to be together. Running from a chef, the two lovers bounce, squirt and fling themselves all over the tiny Greek island in a slapstick "true love shall prevail" odyssey directors Julien Bocabeille and Francois-Xavier Chanioux leave hilariously open-ended.

• La Maison en Petits Cubes: A Japanese film animated in traditionally French style, La Maison is a geometric, impressionistic visualization of examining one's past. While undoubtedly beautiful, the film is serious and a bit too morose (the terrible lonely-clarinet music certainly doesn't help) and heavy handed in pushing its allegorical agenda compared to its fellow nominees to garner serious consideration.

• Lavatory-Lovestory: When a bored, lonely men's room attendant discovers she has a secret admirer, she searches the stalls high and low for her beloved. Using minimalist animation reminiscent of Red Bull commercials, Russian writer/director Konstantin Bronzit's love story shows you don't have to search far for love.

• Presto: Pixar's latest short follows Alec Azam, a magician's rabbit grown tired – and hungry – from the old carrot-and-stick spiel. Refusing to be pulled from the magician's hat, a dizzying behind-the-scenes battle between Alec and his boss becomes the magician's most successful, if self-destructive, show to date. Witty and impeccably animated, Presto may very well give This Way Up a run for the Oscar.

It's 5:15 p.m. In other words, dinner time! Terrace Dining Room (TDR) is AU's dining hall. Beloved by some, reviled by more, tolerated by all. On the menu tonight is the average array of soul food (African pork roast, wtf?), vegan legume-based side dishes and  the all-you-can-eat ice cream bar. Substitutions: grilled cheese instead of chicken at the "American Grill" station.

With only one unfried-entree dining option (who want's an Einstein bagel for dinner?) open to students, the likelihood of bumping into last week's hook-up is well above average. But, bent forks and fiestaware aside, the atmosphere is communal – all the students descending on the salad bar and carving station between 5 and 8 p.m., all of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity bursting into "I Want It That Way" at 5:30 p.m. on the dot. The atmosphere is comfortable, familiar. Which means, fraternizing with friends in a comfort food coma, people will say the darndest things.

5:41 p.m. "I don't wanna smell your cheap cologne while I'm trying to eat, Eurotrash."

5:55 Girl waiting in line for stir fry – "This is just a shit TDR night."

5:57 "Once you poop yourself, I'm gonna wipe it all  over you!"

6:05 "Chocolate bread! Chocolate bread! Yeeeaaaaah, WHAT!?"

6:15 "Are you gonna, like, spoonfeed her?"

6:18 "He reeked of alcohol. He was passing out in my bed! Like, why would someone do that? He doesn't appreciate me."

6:29 Dude #1, "So what's good?"  Dude #2, "Nothing."  #1, "No, that's just TDR."

6:30 "I'll catch it in my mouth! Dude, I swear, I'll catch it in my mouth! Throw it, like a Frisbee. LIKE A FRIS- Ow!"

6:33 "If I'm not mistaken, that's Rudy's favorite sauce!"

UPDATES...

6:36 "Hey, go find a girl to make-out with. You cheat on your girlfriend, you sack of shit!... HOME. WRECKER."

6:42 "I just don't feel like girls get on each other like guys do."

6:50 "Have you ever watched The Land Before Time? You'd be Petrie! You definitely would...So what's the little duck? No you're Petrie, you really are. You're Petrie."

6:59 "Moment of truth – African pork... Mmm."

6:59 "It's black people. Black people at American."

7:00 [From the Petrie gallery] "I'm still debating the dinosaur question."

7:02 "I just spilled fruit punch on my crotch. Awesome..." [Drinks some punch.] "And the fruit punch is fuckin' warm, too. What the fuck."