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Wednesday, January 8, 2014 z
‘Secret Life’ is sort of lifeless BY
MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE
So. Turns out the only thing the prototypical American milquetoast Walter Mitty needed to get happy was a little stubble and a lavish travel budget.
AT THE MOVIES In director Ben Stiller’s earnest-but-screwy go at “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Stiller himself takes the role of the daydreaming, “yes, dear” fellow introduced in a wee-buthardy 1939 James Thurber short story. Thurber sold it to The New Yorker and eventually his grey little man with prodigious dreams of heroism was given the Hollywood treatment in a postwar Danny Kaye vehicle. Stiller has no interest in delivering the comic mania of Kaye. Rather, his Mitty is the center of an easygoing self-actualization travelogue in which the title character, here conceived as
DANCES
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY n 2 stars n PG; 125 minutes n Cast: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Adam Scott, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt Directed by Ben Stiller
a photo archivist for a dying Life magazine, lurches from Greenland to Afghanistan, searching for an elusive photojournalist played by Sean Penn. (For the record, Life actually died several years ago.) In screenwriter Steven Conrad’s story a crucial missing image, captured by the photographer but misplaced under Mitty’s usually eagle-eyed watch, is desperately needed for Life’s final cover. Recovering it may be the key to Mitty hanging onto his old-school, defiantly pre-digital job. The irony of a story hinging on a tiny scrap of film forced to compete with a sea of computergenerated imagery is pretty
WILSON WEBB
Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) and legendary photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Pean) enjoy the view. odd. The movie feels uncertain as to its own tones and intentions. Fantasy blowouts, such as Stiller battling a slimy corporate takeover artist played by Adam Scott), offer a chuckle or two. Then we’re back to the other movie, the one Stiller clearly had more interest in making. Mitty is in love with a coworker played by Kristen Wiig. The scenes between Stiller and Wiig have real charm, and Stiller’s enough of a director to know when to simply let a leisurely patch of dialogue unfold in a single shot (in this firstconversation case, on a Manhattan sidewalk). Elsewhere, though, “Walter Mitty” operates on a scale that feels way, way off. Once Mitty leaves the con-
fines of his shrinking life and crosses time zones in pursuit of the photographer, the seams of the picture threaten to split. Is a 21st century film about a Walter Mitty type really best served by gorgeous, eye-popping location shooting on a near-$100 million budget? Shirley MacLaine has a pleasant scene or two as Mitty’s mom; Patton Oswalt works shrewd wonders as the voice (and then the face) of an eHarmony dating representative trying to get Mitty to goose up his profile. The film has a persistent and careful sheen. It looks good. It is, in fact, preoccupied with looking good. If this sounds like faint praise, I’m afraid it is.
Wine lovers, plan your Pinot perusing vacation early The answer to where a discerning wine lover should go on their next vacation has become extremely easy to answer. Plan a trip to Oregon, specifically during the last week of July, for the annual International Pinot Noir Celebration. Held in the pic-
GRAPELINES BY LOUIS MARMON turesque Willamette Valley on the campus of Linfield College in McMinnsville, Ore., IPNC is among the finest wine and food experiences anywhere in the world. In fact, before you read any further, go to their website (www.ipnc.com) and register for next year’s event before they sell out. Then come back to this article for some more specifics and look for next month’s which will feature recommendations of special places to visit and extraordinary folks to meet. You can figure out your flights and accommodations later. Oregon undisputedly pro-
ALLISON
Continued from Page B-5 ‘Rite of Springs,’” Allison said. “The second record was Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumors.’” Allison’s varied taste has remained intact over the years as the musician has built a career which includes appearances on more than 50 albums by assorted artists. The latest incarnation of Allison’s own band began one and a half years ago. Seabrook, Cardenas and Miller are all band leaders for their own ensembles, something Allison credits for the Ben Allison Band’s success. “Because they are all seeing things through the eyes of
BARD
Continued from Page B-5 the table. “The actors that I’m working with in this production … are very, very good realistic performers,” Flemming said. “They’re being thrown into an area that they weren’t as comfortable with.” Flemming said his actors — Andy Greenleaf, Jennifer Osborn and Steve Snapp — each brought a little something different to the play. Snapp, according to Flemming, has a really good feel for the over-thetop presentation of the show, whereas Greenleaf and Osborn are modern play “mavens.” The show has a certain amount of improvisation from the actors, but Flemming was quick to point out that with the improvisation being rehearsed so much, it’s very much like part of the script now. “[The audience] is going to see very little improvisation,” Flemming said. “… I did not want to just duplicate the original production of the creators of this show. So I had the actors play with the script, play with the action on stage and the result was very, very different than
duces some the world’s finest wines, especially their distinctive Pinot Noirs, but also some tasty whites including Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. However Pinot Noir remains supreme. It all began with David Lett who planted the area’s first Pinot Noir at the Eyrie Vineyards in 1966 and there are now over 12 million acres and 400 some wineries focusing on the varietal. Along with the astonishing growth in production has been the amazingly rapid rise in quality which is attributed, in large part, to the very collaborative spirit among Oregon’s winemakers. Another pioneer, Josh Bergstrom, noted that “Oregon really started out with a bunch of well-educated hippies sitting around in meadows passing bottles, critiquing each other. …That spirit is still very much alive today.” There currently isn’t a lot of counterculture to be seen and yet you would be hard pressed to find a more friendly, enjoyable and intriguing group of people than those making Pinot Noir in Oregon. McMinnsville and the surrounding Willa-
mette Valley have the look and feel of Sonoma about 30 years ago. Even the influx of several hundred IPNC attendees did not appear to disturb the quaint comfort of the town nor the lowkey attitude of the locals. Now in its 28th year, IPNC is truly a celebration of all things Pinot Noir. The main focus upon Oregon wines but there are ample opportunities to explore other Pinot iterations including those from Burgundy, California and New Zealand. The highlights include small group winery visits and guided vineyard tours led by featured winemakers who discuss topics such as Oregon AVA terroirs, planting strategies and techniques to achieve balance and accurate expression of the local environment. Sounds a bit geeky, but standing in the middle of a vineyard with Oregon winemaking pioneer Ken Wright while he points out the different geologic attributes and history of the Willamette Valley is both thought-provoking and entertaining. There is also a “Univer-
sity of Pinot” that offers a range of seminars led by such notables as Terry Thiese, Eric Asimov and Allen Meadows that focus on the intriguing ability of Pinot Noir to transcend into a “harmony of beauty, distinctiveness, personality and soul.” But the heart of IPNC is the opportunity to taste literally hundreds of Pinot Noirs while speaking to the people responsible for crafting the wines. This includes wine-centered lunches catered by splendid local chefs and afternoon alfresco tastings that encourage attendees to discuss and compare wines from recent vintages produced around the world. These are followed by the exceptional “Grand Dinner” on Friday night and the legendary IPNC “Salmon Bake” dinner on Saturday which features wild salmon roasted on alder stakes. At each meal IPNC provides ample wines and even more are poured by many of the attendees who have brought their own bottles to share. IPNC is certainly a remarkable Pinot experience.
a band leader, they have great perspective,” Allison said. “They think compositionally … which really gives the band a unique sound; a sound that’s more than the sum of its parts … I feel very fortunate to have such high-level individuals in my group.” As is the nature of the jazz world, Allison and his band mates play with several different ensembles. And even when they’re playing as the Ben Allison Band, improvisation plays a major role in their performances. “We’ve been playing together long enough that I can often start a tune and everyone will know what I’m doing,” Allison said. “It’s not always well-
planned in advance.” In addition to recording and performing, Allison is deeply involved in music advocacy, working toward artist empowerment and musician’s rights. “It began early in my career when I was the co-founder and artistic director of the Jazz Composition Collective,” Allison said. The Jazz Composition Collective was a nonprofit, musician-run organization based out of New York City and dedicated to creating an environment where musicians could freely create and develop new music. “There was very much of a very community-oriented feel to that group,” Allison said.
When the collective dissolved in 2005, Allison said it left “a hole.” “I was used to the idea of expressing some of my political beliefs through an arts organization,” he said. “Fostering art, building community, building audiences for new music — those sorts of things.” Allison has found a new outlet with a position as a member of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. “I get the chance to put a voice to the concerns of artists,” Allison said. “[It’s something] that I enjoy doing and appreciate the chance to do.”
what you would see if you were to watch the film of ‘Complete Works,’ or something like that.” While the audience gets to enjoy the fruits of Flemming and the actor’s labor, they too will be participating in the telling of the play. “At one point in the show, the entire audience will be dragged into a production of ‘Hamlet,’” Flemming laughed. “The audience, especially those in the front few rows, may find themselves in the middle of the action whether they thought it would happen or not!” Flemming said those who are fans of the Bard have nothing to fear. (If, when reading the first paragraph of this story, the reader cringes, then it’s probably a safe bet you’re a Shakespeare buff.) Whereas the play boils all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays into a modicum of time, true fans will enjoy it. “I’m one of those people,” Flemming said. “I love Shakespeare with a flaming passion. The more you know about Shakespeare, the funnier some of this stuff is. When you see the divergence from Shakespeare, when they do the comedies and present them in a different way, if you know Shakespeare then it’s funnier than anything. If
chedgepeth@gazette.net
IN THE ARTS
Hollywood Ballroom, Jan. 10, drop-in lessons from 7:30-9 p.m., West Coast Swing Dancing with Dance Jam Productions at 9 p.m. ($15); Jan. 11, Latin Night with Mr. Mambo, workshops from 8-10 p.m., dance from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. ($18 for workshop and dance; $15 for dance only); Jan. 12, free Waltz lesson at 7 p.m., Social Ballroom Dance at 8 p.m. ($16); Jan. 15, Ballroom Bash from 8:30–10:30 p.m. ($16); Jan. 16, Tea Dance from 12:303:30 p.m. ($6), 2126 Industrial Highway, Silver Spring, 301326-1181, www.hollywoodballroomdc.com Glen Echo Park is at 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Blues, Capital Blues: Thurs-
days, 8:15 p.m. beginner lesson, 9-11:30 p.m. dancing to DJs, Glen Echo Park’s Spanish Ballroom Annex, $8, www.capitalblues.org. Contra, Jan. 10, Perry Shafran and the Glen Echo Open Band, 7:30 p.m. lesson, 8:30 p.m. dance, Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $10, www.fridaynightdance.org. Contra & Square, Jan. 12, Paul Rosen calls with Ricochet; Jan. 19, Perry Shafran with Sibling Ribaldry; Jan. 26, Valerie Helbert with STEAM, 7:30 p.m., Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $12 for general, $9 for members, $5 for students, www. fsgw.org. English Country, Jan. 8, Caller: Joseph Pimentel; Jan. 15, Caller: Tom Spilsbury; Jan. 22, Caller: Susan Taylor; Jan. 29, Caller: Stephanie Smith, 8 p.m., Glen Echo Town Hall (upstairs), www.fsgw.org.
Now and Then Dance Studio, Saturday ballroom dances,
second and fourth Saturdays, beginner group lesson at 8 p.m., open dancing at 9 p.m., $10 cash at door (all men admitted at half-price throughout October), 10111 Darnestown Road, Rockville. 301-424-0007, www. nowandthendancestudios.com. Scottish Country Dancing, 8-10 p.m. Mondays, steps and formations taught. No experience, partner necessary, T-39 Building on NIH campus, Wisconsin Avenue and South Drive, Bethesda, 240-505-0339. Swing, Jan. 18, Naomi & Her Handsome Devils, lesson at 8 p.m., dancing at 9 p.m., Glen Echo Park, $15, www.flyingfeet. org. Waltz, Jan. 19, Hickman, Glickman & Devine, 2:45-3:30 p.m. lesson, 3:30-6 p.m., dance, $10, www.waltztimedances.org.
MUSIC & DANCE Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, Billy Thompson, 7:30
p.m. Jan. 8; Andrew Neu, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9; Dance Night with Essence, 8 p.m. Jan. 10; Phillip Doc Martin, 8 p.m. Jan. 11; Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12; Perry Conticchio Quartet, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15; Tizer featuring Karen Briggs, 8 p.m. Jan. 16; Motown & More: Tribute to Legends of Motown & Soul, 8 p.m. Jan. 17; Popa Chubby, 8 p.m. Jan. 18; The Soul Serenaders, 8 p.m. Jan. 19; Gotta Swing Dance Night with Bad Influence, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22; Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion, 8 p.m. Jan. 24; Antone “Chooky” Caldwell, 8 p.m. Jan. 25; Ron Kearns Quintet with Special Guest Michael Thomas, 7 p.m. Jan. 26; Peter Fields and Rob Holmes - A Tribute to Charlie Byrd & Stan Getz, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29; Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, 8 p.m. Jan. 30; Spectrum, 8 p.m. Jan. 31, call for prices, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-330-4500, www. bethesdabluesjazz.com. BlackRock Center for the Arts, The 9 Songwriters Series,
8 p.m. Jan. 18; Charlotte Blake Alston, 1 p.m. Jan. 25; Hot Club of San Francisco and Cinema Vivant, 8 p.m. Jan. 25; call for tickets, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. 301-5282260, www.blackrockcenter.org. Institute of Musical Traditions — Takoma Park, Gentico-
rum, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8; Takoma Park Community Center, call for prices, times, Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, 301-9603655, www.imtfolk.org.
Institute of Musical Traditions — Rockville, Claire Lynch Band,
PAM BURKS
(From left) Jennifer Osborn, Steven Snapp and Andrew Greenleaf play out Shakespeare’s works — sort of — when they perform “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” at Silver Spring Stage. you know nothing about Shakespeare, the show is just very zany and enjoyable. “But if you know Shake-
speare, it’s more. There’s another level there.” wfranklin@gazette.net
7:30 p.m. Feb. 3; Nuala Kennedy, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17; Carrie Newcomer, 7:30 p.m. March 8, Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, call for prices, www. imtfolk.org. Strathmore, Nellie McKay, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 9; The Ben Allison Band, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10; BSO: Off the Cuff — Dvorak’s New World Symphony, 8:15 p.m. Jan. 10; The Ben Allison Band Masterclass, 4 p.m. Jan. 11; Historic Home Tour, 11 a.m. Jan. 13; AIR: Christie Dashiell, jazz vocalist, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15, 29; Duo Sonidos, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16; BSO: Beethoven and
Mozart, 8 p.m. Jan. 16; Wired In: Web and Social Media, 10 a.m. Jan. 18; Children’s Talk and Tour, 10:15 a.m. Jan. 18; Art Talk, 1 p.m. Jan. 18; National Philharmonic: Three Great Classics, 8 p.m. Jan. 18; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Tribute and Celebration, 3 p.m. Jan. 20; The 9 Songwriter Series Benefits: Ted Garber and Family, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20; Artist in Residence Education Workshop with Christie Dashiell: A Jazz Journey, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22; BSO: Marvin Hamlisch — One Singular Sensation, 8 p.m. Jan. 23; Jazz Vocal Intensive: Scat Singing 201, 10 a.m. Jan. 25; Denis Matsuev, piano, 7 p.m. Jan. 25; Natascia Diaz, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 25; Rob Patterson, Maria Lambros & Audrey Andrist, 3 p.m. Jan. 26; Pixies, 8 p.m. Jan. 26; So You Think You Can’t Sing: Harmony Edition, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27; Bill Cosby, 8 p.m. Jan. 30-31; AIR Alumni: John Kocur, jazz saxophone, 11 a.m. Jan. 31, call for venue, Locations: Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda; Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, 301-5815100, www.strathmore.org.
ON STAGE Adventure Theatre, “Miss Nelson is Missing,” Jan. 17 to March 9, call for prices, times, Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, 301-634-2270, www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Arts Barn, “Blame it On Beckett,” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 10-26, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, 301-2586394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov/ artsbarn. Imagination Stage, “Lyle the Crocodile,” to Jan. 10, call for prices, times, Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, www.imaginationstage.org Olney Theatre Center, “The King and I,” to Jan. 12; call for prices, times, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, 301-9243400, www.olneytheatre.org. The Puppet Co., “Tales of Beatrix Potter,” Jan. 17 to Feb. 9; Tiny Tots @ 10, select Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, call for shows and show times, Puppet Co. Playhouse, Glen Echo Park’s North Arcade Building, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., $5, 301-634-5380, www.thepuppetco.org. Round House Theatre, Bethesda, “Seminar,” Feb. 5 to March 4, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. 240-644-1100, www.roundhousetheatre.org. Round House Theatre, Silver Spring, “Meena’s Dream,” Jan. 8-14, call for show times, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, $15 for general admission, $10 for subscribers, patrons 30 and younger and seniors, 244-6441100, www.roundhousetheatre. org. Silver Spring Stage, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” Jan. 10 to Feb. 1, Woodmoor Shopping Center, 10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, see website for show times, www.ssstage.org. The Writer’s Center, Travis Nichols and Frank Tavares, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 12, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, 301-654-8664, www. writer.org.
VISUAL ART Adah Rose Gallery, “Residue,” Sharon Butler, Michael Callaghan, Steven Charles, J.D. Hastings and Toni Tiller, to Feb. 9, 3766 Howard Ave., Kensington, 301-922-0162, www. adahrosegallery.com
The Dennis and Phillip Ratner Museum, TBA, hours are 10 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10001 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda. 301-897-1518. Gallery B, “New Works on Paper,” Jan. 8 to Feb. 1, opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 10, gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E. www.bethesda.org. Glenview Mansion, The Pate Painters, watercolor, oil, acrylic, gouache, pastel, pencil, to Jan. 24, Rockville Civic Center Park, 503 Edmonston Drive, Rockville. www.rockvillemd.gov. Marin-Price Galleries, March Avery, to Jan. 28, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 7022 Wisconsin Ave., 301-718-0622. VisArts, Michael Sellmeyer: “Paintings, Drawings, Prints, That Mostly Go Together,” to Jan. 12, Common Ground Gallery; Lauren Boilini: “Rabid Habits,” to Jan. 12, Gibbs Street Gallery,155 Gibbs St., Rockville, 301-315-8200, www. visartsatrockville.org. Washington Printmakers Gallery, “South African Voices:
A New Generation of Printmakers,” to Jan. 26, reception from 1-4 p.m. Jan. 11, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, second floor, 8230 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, www. washingtonprintmakers.com.