Allen Ginsberg's Kaddish Tickets

I was sold a restricted view seat in Royce Hall without it being sold as such. Luckily I was able to move at the start of the performance. Ultimately, I liked the event, but I'm sure audience members unfamiliar with the poem and Naomi Ginsberg's story would find it difficult. The sound equipment seemed muffled at first and in a spoken word event like this that could be fatal. A good reading despite the difficulties. I would have appreciated more photographs of Naomi interspersed with the film.

The poem which served as the core of this performance is a fine Allen Ginsberg poem. Unfortunately, it was not served well by the noisy live musical performance which threatened to drown out the reading of the poem. The reading of the poem itself was too much of the standard beat-style sing-song delivery, which lacked real expression of the content. I enjoyed the amazing artwork by Ralph Steadman which was projected above the performers, but unfortunately, none of the projected images connected or supported the content of the poem. Too bad.

On Wednesday evening, my friend and I were in attendance for the Kaddish production. The music and the art were beautiful ... almost unexpectedly cool and wonderful, in fact. The music and art in themselves were an intellectual and emotional treat. Of course, however, surpassed by the reading of the poem.... which made it all so clear and cool and conversational and mellow that the story behind it all emerged. My first 'review' to my friend at the end as we were leaving was how much Ginsberg liked his mother! He knew her as a person; not a mother -- he got her; he knew the missing pieces. I loved the content therefore too -- but back to the readers/actors ... The performance of Ginsberg as reader, the Mother and then the pianist/singer were exceptional. I don't believe I've had the feeling that I had on Wednesday nite for a while! I felt like I learned a great deal; I certainly felt a great deal -- and again, the art / music / multi-media aspects were well done -- not too much special effects but rather very much a sense of that now-mythic time. I thank the whole project team .. it was a fine, fine evening.

"Kaddish" by itself is a magnifcant piece of work; however, with jazz, it isdifficult to hear, and to follow.