In
1962, Rudolf Nureyev made his post-defection American debut at the BrooklynAcademy of Music (BAM) in 1962. However,
the 1960’s would be a difficult decade for the performing arts
institution. Yet, it survived and
eventually thrived, as James Sládek documents in BAM150 (trailer
here),
a portrait of the venue in its sesquicentennial year, which screens again
tomorrow during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.
Originally
founded to rival the concert halls of Manhattan, BAM had a difficult time
establishing its own identity, notwithstanding the appearance of high profile
artists such as Nureyev, Sarah Bernhardt, and even Mark Twain. It was more in the business of leasing space than
producing performances when Harvey Lichtenstein took the reins of leadership in
1967.
During
his tenure, Lichtenstein dramatically raised BAM’s stock through the somewhat
contradictory strategies of institutionalizing the avant-garde and pursuing big
name performers. Ironically, the
economic growth of the 1980’s helped stabilize the venue despite the many
theater pieces it staged protesting the very policies making it all
possible. However, it was nearly all
undone by Lichtenstein’s disastrous attempts to establish a repertory company.
BAM150 is a perfectly
respectable survey of the hall’s history.
Sládek has a nice approach to the material, smoothly blending moments of
quiet Wiseman-esque observation with more conventional talking head
sequences. The combined effect gives audiences
a pretty good feel for the rapidly expanding institution.
After
previously profiling Mark Kostabi, a somewhat dubious artist more famous than
he should be, Sládek has shifted gears, shining a spotlight on an arts
organization that ought to be more widely recognized. It is also a rather shrewd filmmaking
decision, since his documentary is a lead pipe cinch to be screened at BAM’s
Cinématek. Still, he faced a bit of a
challenge, considering dance and theater performances are fleeting by
nature. As a result, viewers must often
settle for descriptions rather than video documentation. Fortunately, the quality of interview
participants helps to compensate, including the likes of Steve Reich, Peter
Brook, Alan Rickman, and Isabella Rossellini.
