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  • A Star Studded Chelsea Evening Featuring Bruce Levingston

    Pianist BRUCE LEVINGSTON will appear in concert with guest artists ETHAN HAWKE and PHILIP GLASS at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall at 8 PM on the evening of March 22nd, 2006. This special Bl_1 program will include works by Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Glass and others including the world premiere of Lisa Bielawa’s The Lay of the Love and Death. Gala tickets include best seating in the house and a Champagne Veuve Clicquot reception after with the artists. For tickets call CenterCharge at 212-721-6500. For special seating, group and other discounts or more information please call 212-627-3534.  (READ THE REVIEW — MUSIC AND STARS AT BRUCE LEVINGSTON’S FIFTH ANIVERSARY GALA FOR THE PREMIER COMMISSION)

    We’ve been seeing Bruce around the hotel for a number of years now, and in addition to being a fine pianist he’s also one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet.  We first gave him our standard interview, and he wasn’t too forthcoming, leading us to suspect there was something wrong with out questions.  (He did reveal one interesting piece of information, however: unlike 90% of the people we ask Ethan Hawke is not the most famous person he’s ever riddden in the elevator with.) When we asked Bruce about his work he produced one of our most interesting interviews.

    Tell us about the music you play?
    I play keyboard music from Elizabethan times to the present. Since the piano is my instrument, I often focus on music written by pianist/composers such as Chopin and Schumann, although I deeply love Bach and Scarlatti and play many of their works written for the harpsichord. I never tire of Schubert, who is a kind of magical musical alchemist and the same may be said of Debussy. But Brahms, Chopin, Liszt and Schumann are also real mainstays on my programs. They were so completely composers for the piano and knew how to use every resource it offered to them. Beethoven, who was a very great pianist and whose music I also love, was often writing with other instruments in mind, or else some kind of futuristic piano. At any rate, it is very difficult to completely realize his aesthetic on the piano. Yet the music is so great, one must, of course, try. I think one must almost be (or become) like him in some way to play him. I definitely have sides that are like him, but my inner personality probably leans more towards Schubert and Chopin.

    I also play many works by living composers. In 2004, I gave the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winner William Bolcom’s New York Lights which is a piano concert transcription of the aria Bolcom wrote for the opera A View from the Bridge with longtime Chelsea residents Arthur Miller and Arnold Weinstein.

    How did you become interested in the work of Philip Glass? I saw a painting of Glass made by Chuck Close. It made me start to think about how Chopin, Liszt, and Satie had been painted and drawn by their contemporaries such as Delacroix, Ingres and Picasso and how in turn many of these composers had also made musical portraits of figures of their time. (Incidentally, Virgil Thomson composed a whole series of musical portraits of people he knew while they sat for him in his
    apartment in the Chelsea Hotel.) When I saw the Chuck Close portrait of Glass I thought that it would be wonderful if Glass composed a portrait of Chuck Close. A few months after I had this idea, I happened to meet both Close and Glass at a reception in New York. I told Glass about my idea and he agreed on the spot to write the piece. I immersed myself in his work and developed a renewed appreciation for his remarkable contribution to art and music. He is one of those rare figures who
    truly changed the course of history in his field. I gave the world  premiere of A Musical Portrait of Chuck Close in the spring of 2005 at Lincoln Center and recorded it that following summer. The CD containing the work (along with music of Ravel, Messiaen, and Satie) called Portraits, has just been released on Glass’ label, Orange Mountain Music.

    What inspired you to work with Ethan Hawke?
    I had met him at some point before he lived at the Chelsea. However, we really came to know each other better once he moved into the hotel. We often walked our dogs around the same time! Ethan has a deep love of music and literature. When I told him about my work with Philip Glass, he recounted hearing Glass perform with Allen Ginsberg. I told Ethan I actually had the musical score that they performed together. His enthusiasm for this work ( as well as Ethan’s wonderful artistic abilities) inspired our collaboration.

    Tell us about the pieces you will play at your upcoming concert?
    In addition to the Glass/Ginsberg work called Wichita Vortex Sutra, we will also perform the finale to Be Glass’ masterpiece Einstein on the Beach. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours (which was made into a film with a memorable score by Glass), and Academy Award-winning actress Estelle Parsons will perform with us in this amazing ensemble piece. We will be premiering a work by the outstanding young composer Lisa Bielawa and there will also be guest
    musicians Colin Jacobsen, a brilliant violinist, Jesse Blumberg, a great baritone, and Alexandra Montano, an incredible mezzo-soprano who will join me in other works of Glass as well as music of Bach, Chopin and Messiaen. Philip Glass and I will also perform a piano duet from his Orphée and we will both play solo works as well. He will play some of his fantastic piano Etudes and I will play some beautiful works of Chopin and Liszt.

    How long have you lived at the Chelsea?
    Too long.

    (more…)

  • The Truth About Those Fancy Hotels

    Part III: The Police Investigation (Part I, Part II)

                To save money, I rented a room without a bathroom.  Since I was drinking beer I had to piss frequently, and since the bathroom was at the end of the hall, I had to walk past the woman several times during the night.  The first few times I didn’t say anything to her and she didn’t seem to recognize me.  But one time, on the way back from the bathroom–I made sure it was on the way back–I just couldn’t help myself: "Sure is smoky in here," I said.  Predictably, the woman screamed at me and ran after me again, but this time I had my key out and ready.

                The woman continued to yell about the conspiracy–off and on–until about three in the morning.  Then she finally wore herself out, closed her door, and was silent for the rest of the night.
           

                But she was up at the crack of dawn. “Jesus Christ!” I said as I thrashed around in my bed.  “This shit’s gonna drive me to drink!”  Since I had been up the night before writing–and drinking–her raving hadn’t completely unhinged me then, but it was a different story when I was trying to sleep.  I pictured myself strangling her, shaking her by the neck until her body swung limp and her teeth rattled in her skull.

                "You may kill me," the woman raved, as if she’d read my thoughts, "but you’d better dispose of my body good, because there’ll be a police investigation!"

                Well, I thought, at least she seems to have resigned herself to her fate.  I only hoped that somebody would hurry up and gas her to death so I could go back to sleep.  With any luck, the police wouldn’t wake me up for questioning.

                And then she started singing God Bless America, over and over again.  She was being ironic, of course, and so it was kind of funny, but I would have much rather slept.  The woman sang poorly, in a hoarse, throaty cackle, and the joke soon wore thin.  Once in a while she would switch to Glory, Glory Hallelujah, and that came as a welcome relief–even though she didn’t know all the words.

                But then something occurred to me.  In her blindness, through the haze of the dimly lit halls, what the old woman glimpsed may not have been the past, but rather the future of the Chelsea.  The hotel, like the city itself,  was on the verge of a transformation.  In a year or two the florescent tubes would be gone, shining new globes in their place, as would the linoleum, replaced by inlaid wood.  Soon there wouldn’t be any room for her kind here.  Even now, the old bohemians were dying off, or drifting on.  Rents were going up.  The Chelsea was gradually being gentrified.
                The woman seemed determined to sing all day.  A jackhammer would have been preferable.  A bullet to the head, and then a blissful oblivion.       

                Giving up on the notion of sleep, I put on my clothes and went out to get a cup of coffee.  The woman was leaning against the wall, singing boisterously, but also coughing and sniffling between her verses–probably the result of sleeping with the window open in February.

                Along with the coffee, I picked up some beer and cigarettes and a sandwich so I wouldn’t have to go out again.      

         Back on my floor, the old woman was still in the hallway.  I took a better look at her this time.  Her hair had come out of its curl and was dangling limply, its gray roots having worked their way up during the night.  Her clothes, the same as the day before, were rumpled.  Her make-up was smeared, as if she had slept in it.  She had quit singing for the moment.  She was looking into a small mirror and smearing some kind of black stuff under her eyes.  I didn’t speak to her, and she showed no signs of recognizing me from the night before. (Next Week: Part IV Another Sort of Hotel) Ed Hamilton, 2006.

  • All Tomorrow’s Parties: March 13 – 19, 2006

    Tuesday, March 14, 10:30 p.m.
    Sbz Susanne Bartsch and Kenny Kenny invite you to Happy Valley Tuesdays. DJ Larry Tee; Downstairs, DJ Ryan. Show: Julie Atlas Mews. Hosts: Sophia Lamar, Kim Aviance, Andrea, Miranda Moondust & Amanda Lapore. (View video of Amanda Lepore‘s 2/28/06 Happy Valley performance.)
    14 East 27 St., NY NY

    Wednesday, March 15, 7:00 p.m.
    Ig Publishing will host an event for its brand new anthology PROUD TO BE LIBERAL. Readers include Mark Green, Ted Rall and David Rees. Come celebrate the past, present and bright future of the "L-word."
    Housing Works Used Book Cafe, 126 Crosby St., NY NY

    Thursday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.
    Mark Morris Dance Group presents Four Saints in Three Acts. Four Saints was conceived as a Virgilthomson_1 modern opera in 1927 by composer/Hotel Chelsea resident Virgil Thomson and author Gertrude Stein. (Photo: Virgil in his apt. Rita Barros)
    Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn NY

    Friday, March 17, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    Judy Linn’s photography is an invitation to the Chelsea Hotel room that Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe began sharing in 1971. Linn’s black and white photography creates a voyeuristic view F1_1 into the personal lives of these famous names. “Robert Mapplethorpe in bed at the Chelsea, #2” was a photo intended to help Mapplethorpe sell the jewelry he was making and ended up being a stylistic inspiration when he began his own career as a photographer. The playful photo shoot allowed Linn and Smith to experiment with different identities; Smith often liked to dress up as someone else, including Bob Dylan, and expected Linn to do the same. 
    Envoy Gallery, 535 W. 22nd St., 6th floor, NY NY

    Saturday, March 18, 12:00 noon
    Join author Kevin Fitzpatrick on a walking tour devoted to the famed writers of the Algonquin Round Table. The tour covers 40 destinations; among them are the former speakeasies, theaters, offices, homes and hangouts of the Vicious Circle.  Walks are held rain or shine. 
    Meet in the Algonquin Hotel lobby, 11:45 AM, 55 West 44th St., NY NY

    SToinstal_1unday, March 19, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
    Work by recent Hotel Chelsea guest and painter Thomas Olvisen is on view until March 26. Thomas draws inspiration for his work from worn down cars and other materials.  Klaus Gallery, 438 Union Ave., Williamsburg Brooklyn

  • Daniel Reich’s temp space

    If you haven’t stopped by any of the events at Daniel Reich’s temp space, plan to do so in the future.  Ren A few art bloggers were in attendance last Sunday for the opening reception of "Between the Lines," a group show curated by Nick Mauss.  (Photo, Bloggy’s flickr group.) More photos at James Wagner’s website.

    An earlier exhibit, "The Self Esteem Salon," was captured by Nancy Smith, 3466publisher of artloversnewyork.com. 

  • Tribute to Lee Levine

    Lee Levine, long time resident of the Chelsea Hotel, will have a tribute of his lighting designwork at La Mama, 74 East 4th St., Saturday, March 11, 3:00p.m. as part of the Coffee House Chronicles.

    Lee died Sept. 22, 2000.  His wife Merle Lister will be talking, hearing audio tape, seeing him in photos and reading tributes from people who worked with him.

    Claudio Edinger’s book contains a nice photo of Lee & Merle.

  • DIESEL Channels the Chelsea

    ThDiesel_blog_1e Diesel folks left out an important accessory in their homage to the Hotel Chelsea.   Around here the models accessorize with toliet paper rolls.
    Here’s what Suzy Menkes had to say about the show:  By the time Grace Jones {a former Chelsea resident} took to the runway, yelling and prancing in a studded leather hooded outfit, Diesel had put out its message: jeans, leather and a whiff of the 1980s. The theme was Manhattan’s infamous Chelsea Hotel, which seemed to greet all types, judging by the eclectic mix on the runway. The show had energy but not much direction.  (Source: IHT, Feb. 11, 2006) (Photos: Diesel blog) 

    (more…)

  • Listen to Patti Smith

    210phillipsauguriesauthor_1 Listen to journalist Adam Phillip’s recent interview with Patti Smith. Smith also reads from her recently published collection of poems, Auguries of Innocence.  (Source: Voice of America)

  • Thomas Hallas Øvlisen Dreams of the Chelsea

    To_2 Danish artist Thomas Hallas Ovlisen was recently in town for the opening of his first solo show.  Of course, he and his family stayed at the Chelsea.  His work includes paintings and sculpture using auto-lacquer and enamel on MDF and styrofoam.
    Toinstal
    What do you do? I make paintings and sculptures, so far.
    How long did you stay at the Chelsea? Only four days – for now.
    What inspired you to stay at the Chelsea?
    We (wife and I) were looking for a good place to stay with two kids. Not that we thought Hotel Chelsea was a family place, but there is room for everybody including our jet-lagged kids and us. And I guess I know of it from the Andy Warhol era so it seemed like a great place to stay while I was in town for my first solo show – Klaus Von Nichtssagend Gallery, – and then Rufus Wainright just gave a big koncert at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, where we’re from and so it all seemed to come together.

    Do you think there is a creative energy in the Chelsea?
    For sure. It is magic. The big chandelier in our room had our 6 year old spellbound. The concierge made a little book with her one morning, when she woke up and we weren’t quite there yet. But everything, all the dogs, everybody there acceptance, understanding and a sense of coming together.

    Do you think staying at the Chelsea affected your creative development?
    I don’t know, but I am sure it will.

    What other creative people at the Chelsea or elsewhere have influenced your development?
    Well both Renee Ricard and Lola Schnabel has a painting of mine. Lola directly influenced hers, and Renee advised in a direction I have yet to take, but I think about it ever so often. Dike Blair was my professor at school, my friends Rob Hult, Dan Colen, Anna Tanner, Alex Dodge. I think though mainly my first boss Jytte Ulrich(RIP) – I love you and I know you are proud of me wherever you are.

    What’s the best/worst thing that has ever happened to you at the Chelsea?
    Hotel Chelsea is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. Cisca (6 year old) said it straight out, but I think that we all dream of living there now…

    What’s your favorite Hotel Chelsea story?
    Everything I think. The craziness. The history. Its life. I am sure it is all right there if we could only see it.

  • Our Paris Correspondent Posts an Exclusive from London

    Set_2 The Chelsea blog’s sparkling Paris correspondent takes us behind the scenes to the Resurrection Blues opening night after party.  She apologizes for the lack of photos, but she was too busy partying.  Seeing how that’s the case, all is forgiven.

    Transatlantic glitterati came out in strength to see and support former Hotel Chelsea resident Arthur Miller’s play Resurrection Blues at its debut at the Old Vic in London March 3.

    Among those who attended the performance and the party afterwards were Maggie Smith, Daniel Day Lewis, Aidan Quinn, Katherine Helmond, Richard E. Grant, Emma Thompson, Emily Watson, Greta Scaachi and Charles Dance, in addition to the old Vic artistic director Kevin Max Spacey and the play’s stars Maximillian Schell, Neve Campbell,  Matthew Modine, James Fox, Jane Adams and Peter Macdonald.  The Altmans, Bob and Kathryn, left the party after a few hours to board a private jet to LA, where Bob was to receive his Lifetime Achievement Oscar on Sunday.

    Producer, and long-time Hotel Chelsea resident, Scott Griffin, who was entrusted with this play by Sg_1 Arthur Miller before his death, had a large contingent of fans and friends in attendance.  Pals from North America and Europe travelled to London and included opera singers Lauren Flanagan and Catherine Malifitani, renowned doctor. Marcia Gordon, actress Katherine Helmond, philanthropist Mary Cd_1Kaplan, writer Maggie Paley and the Chelsea Hotel’s Caroline Hansberry.  Caroline’s Partner, Sir David Remfry, was unable to attend, but hosted a dinner for Scott and a few friends at the legendary Chelsea Arts Club in London.

    The absence of Arnold Weinstein and, of course, Arthur Miller, who died within months of each Arnold_4 other in 2005, was profound.

  • “At The Hotel”

    According to an article in The Vancouver Province, the new Canadian TV series, "At The Winhotel200_1 Hotel," is based on the Hotel Chelsea.  "At the Hotel focuses on the lives of a group of staff and residents of the Chateau Rousseau — which is an obvious, albeit slightly more upscale and far less interesting, version of New York’s famed Chelsea Hotel."

    Here’s the plot: "The Chateau Rousseau, located in some unspecified Canadian city, is one of those metropolitan boutique hotels, a century-old family institution housing a mixture of guests and permanent residents, invariably of the artistic variety. The owner is Lucy Knowlton, an alcoholic, faded grande dame who, like the hotel itself, has seen better times. During her lucid moments, Knowlton – played by renowned stage actress Martha Henry – is battling her money-hungry brother who wants to tear the place down to make way for a shopping mall and condo."

    Fellow Canadian Susan Swan should sue the series creator, Ken Finkleman, for stealing her idea.  Here’s what she says about the blog: “The Chelsea Blog is one of America’s most exciting Web Sites.  Savvy, Sardonic, and always fascinating, its focus is on the hotels famous and not so famous tenants.  Someone could take its stories and make a hit TV series.”

    Be sure to check out the March 28th episode, "She Was Giving Me Head on The Unmade Bed," based on the work of another Canadian who used to live here at the Chelsea, Leonard Cohen.