David Byrne made a name for himself as the front-man of the 1980s new wave band The Talking Heads, but in “American Utopia,” he has reinvented himself for the modern stage, says WGBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen.
“I can say this without hyperbole: It’s unlike anything I’ve seen for the way he stages this,” Bowen said during an interview with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday.
For fans of the stage, Bowen also recommended “Choir Boy,” which is now running at SpeakEasy Stage Company. “Choir Boy” is a Tony nominated play by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney focused on the lives of several students at the fictional Charles R. Drew Prep School. Bowen praised the play for its innovative choreography and nuanced look at masculinity.
“What is really striking about this production … is you have this great stepping from African American tradition,” Bowen said. “It all comes together in a really fantastic and tight way, but also while dealing with the issue of masculinity in young men.”
