Obama to See Joe Turner This Weekend

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 9:53pm

They're coming to NYC this weekend.

Expect Times Square to be loaded with Secret Service and cops.

I wonder if they'll bring the kids to see the show.

The cast must be ecstatic.
Obama To Make First Presidential Visit To NYC Updated On: 5/29/09 at 09:53 PM

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 9:55pm

I posted this in the thread on the OT board, but both performances tomorrow are still on TDF.

Buy buy buy! You may catch a glimpse of Mr. O in the flesh!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:00pm

I'll bet when they are in private afterward they'll look at each other quizzically saying "Uh, juba? Did Black folks back then break into juba?"

If you attended the big recent symposium on Joe Turner and race at Lincoln Center you learned they would NOT have, it's like a fun mythological backdrop Wilson just chose to put in the play and not historically accurate. But it works and it's great. Updated On: 5/29/09 at 10:00 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:07pm

Mr O in the flesh

Oh be still my heart.

Will they be throwing rose petals in his path?

Updated On: 5/29/09 at 10:07 PM

[logan0215]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:09pm

I hope Marriage Equality supporters & Don't Ask Don't Tell repealers are preparing their signs...

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:10pm

Roger Robinson may be having quite the year, thinking "I'm on Broadway in a great role in a great play, the President is coming to see our show, and just maybe I'll be walking off with that Tony in a bit."

And deservedly so, Roger.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:12pm

There's a reason these things are kept secret until after the fact.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:15pm

New York 1 isn't exactly secret.

Let's just celebrate the attention for Broadway and for Joe Turner, which deserves it.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:25pm

He needs to see HAIR as well.

[singer73192]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:29pm

CS: I was just thinking the same thing!! Sunday show???

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:30pm

New York Times says Saturday.
First Couple Heads to Broadway

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:40pm

Strange. The NY Times has a second story about it in a different place in the paper. This one mentions the Tony noms for Sher and Best Revival.
First Couple to Hit Broadway This Weekend

[tazber]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 3:01am

I hope there are major protests from the gay community. And I hope they ruin his evening.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 3:22am

Passing up the Norman trilogy? psh

[Rudy2]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 5:37am

I hate to show my ignorance and sorry to stray from topic, but could someone relay, however succinctly, Obama's position on marriage equality/same sex unions?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 10:35am

He personally believes in civil unions, but said it's up to each state to make the decision on their own marriage laws.


I'm slightly bitter he's going all the way to NYC just to see a play when he couldn't drive himself down the street to see Ragtime.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 10:58am

Sorry to throw in the race card, but why couldn't he go see something like HAIR or Billy Elliot? The two most talked about shows of the season? But whatever, Joe Turner is awesome and Roger Robinson is amazing.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:55pm

When I saw Joe Turner I thought the production was so magnificent and such a cohesive whole. And I thought it was the best directed and the best play of Wilson's I've ever seen.

After I thought,Obama should really see this and what a pity if he didn't get away from D.C. to see it. So I am very happy he's seeing this masterpiece of Black cultural drama. If I had to pick one play from the whole season I would list as a "must see" for him, this is it. It is an incredibly wonderful realization of the artist's vision of the play, which also excels.

What if he chose to see "Hair" instead and neglected this work? That would be a slap in the face to the legacy of August Wilson who pushed for opportunity in the theatre and inclusion and perhaps helped create the situation which allowed our entire culture to elect Obama.

This work is further collaborative with Bart Sher, a Caucasian, directing. It is breaking new ground of racial inclusion in that way also since while alive, Wilson would not have allowed Sher as a non-Black director to direct on Broadway, but his widow decided it is about the work, the art itself, and allowed it.

Now it would be wonderful if he could catch another show as well, but how much time does he have and he probably would like to try a restaurant or museum and needs to visit with people since it looks like his visit is very short. Updated On: 5/30/09 at 12:55 PM

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 7:01pm

Yeah, it's tonight! Woo-hoo.

[tazber]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 7:06pm

"What if he chose to see "Hair" instead and neglected this work? That would be a slap in the face to the legacy of August Wilson"

What a silly statement. By not seeing WSS or ITH, he's slapping all Latinos in the face by that logic.

I bet if he didn't see Joe Turner the Wilson estate really wouldn't give a crap, much less feel like they were "slapped" in the face.

But then again he's already slapped the GLBT community in the face repeatedly so I don't think he cares too much about what anyone feels.

[logan0215]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 7:29pm

Rudy2,

This is from during Obama's campaign when he still feigned to support LGTB rights:

http://pride.barackobama.com/page/content/lgbthome

The facts sheet on it:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/Nikki/Constituency%20Groups/LGBT/Fact%20Sheet%20LGBT%20FINAL%20IH.pdf

Since then:

- Obama spoke to the conservatives stating that he believes, as a Christian, that marriage is between a man and a woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUMwQcMVmnc

- Military personnel have continued to be dishonorably discharged after coming out as a result of Obama not keeping his word on repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6lT0Pt71UY

- He now hides behind the cop out that same-sex marriage rights should be determined at the state level.

- Has made no movement toward repealing DOMA - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Marriage_Act

- Has avoided making any statement on the upholding of Proposition 8 stating via the press secretary that we "know where the president stands."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g459NrfxxWk

From a letter to the LGTB Community. Barack Obama February 2008:

"It's wrong to have millions of Americans living as SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS in this nation. And I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS ELECTION so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans. I WILL NEVER COMPROMISE ON MY COMMITMENT TO EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL LGBT AMERICANS. As your President, I WILL USE THE BULLY PULPIT to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. Americans are YEARNING FOR LEADERSHIP that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, WE NEED LEADERSHIP that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. JOIN WITH ME, AND I WILL PROVIDE THAT LEADERSHIP. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike."
Updated On: 5/30/09 at 07:29 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 11:52pm

Anybody see the show with Obama in the audience?

[heo1128]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 11:59pm

Didn't see the show, but 44th (where the Belasco is) was completely blocked off, and tons of police in the area. I was hoping to go people watch, but I didn't even bother.

[scott68]

Posted: 5/31/09 at 12:25am

I went this morning to try to get student rush tickets, but they were long gone. The street was already lined with metal crowd-holders and black SUVs!

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 5/31/09 at 12:37am

http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/monday/news/ny-usobam3112824362may30,0,1159893.story