![]() ![]() You can't replicate being in the room, feeling that spark of the occasion and sharing it with thousands. I'm not going to tell you in matches the live performance. This was one of my favourite gigs a couple of years back, certainly the most innovative show I've witness in, well ever! David Byrne's American Utopia is as much theatre as it is concert and as a result probably works better as a recorded concert film than most. A must-watch for all lovers of the performing arts and good music, especially Talking Heads fans. Amazing talent, creativity and professionalism on display. Yet, despite this perfect set-piece display it's clear that this is a whole lot of fun. No, there's a huge degree of theatre to it all and it takes the performance to another level. This is not simply a live concert where the musicians play their instruments and that's it. The band is excellent - every member is sublimely talented - and everything is perfectly choreographed. Even though most of the songs are ones you've heard before, especially if, like me, you're a Talking Heads fan, the renditions of them are superb. There's a social narrative running through the production and Byrne contributes some interesting, often profound, commentary between songs. Essentially a live performance of a mix of Byrne's musical catalogue, leaning on Talking Heads stuff but with quite a lot of other things thrown in. Turns out it's much simpler than that, and better. My initial thought was that it was a musical play produced by David Byrne, complete with sets and original songs, a Hamilton-style production. I didn't know what to expect from this as I didn't have a good idea what American Utopia is. Byrne links all the songs together with narration, especially on social issues. The show features many of Byrne's Talking Heads tracks plus solo stuff of his and versions of other people's work. Productions of “American Utopia” typically take place on Wednesday through Friday nights, in addition to two shows on Saturdays and an afternoon matinee on Sundays.Director Spike Lee captures David Byrne's Broadway show American Utopia on film. Last year, “American Utopia” received a Special Tony Award as a way of recognizing the production after it wasn’t included in any of the show’s competitive categories. ![]() The show received considerable buzz upon its Broadway debut, and was turned into a concert movie by Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee that premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. “American Utopia” made its Broadway return last September after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered New York’s famed theater district for more than a year. Among the songs featured are Talking Heads hits “Road to Nowhere” and “Burning Down the House.” James Theatre on 44th St., includes songs spanning different parts of Byrne’s career, which he performs with original members of his band. The extension prolongs the show, which had been scheduled to end on March 6, by about a month.īyrne, 69, released “American Utopia” as a solo studio album in March 2018, before debuting the Broadway production in 2019. ![]() The musical production headlined by the Talking Heads frontman Byrne announced its final extension on Monday and will now end its Broadway run on April 3. ![]() “David Byrne’s American Utopia” isn’t ready for its swan song just yet. ![]()
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