Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 7 June 2019
Elton John's songwriter to unveil new visual art at exhibit

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — was an obvious choice,
Bernie Taupin is known for calling it an "iconic" arti-
his longtime musical work fact. The British-born song-
with Elton John, but the Brit- writer said he is fascinated
ish songwriter's visual artistry with the American flag be-
is stepping into the spotlight cause it is a "thrilling repre-
through an art exhibit. sentation of the drama that
Taupin's artwork called this country is built upon.
"Bernie Taupin: The Artist, The good and the bad."
The Raconteur & His Blow- "It's got so much history at-
torch" will be unveiled at tached to it," he said. "For
the Galerie Michael on Fri- me, it's a very heroic sym-
day. The exhibit will feature bol. I always say it's been
20 unseen, life-size sculp- battered and burned, but
tures and artwork made it has this ability to come
from barbed wire, shat- back and unify people.
tered guitars and various Inspire people. Hopefully
American flags. within the framework of my
The exhibit runs until June work, that's what it's doing."
30. Bernie Taupin poses for a portrait at Galerie Michael in Beverly Hills, Calif., Wednesday, June 5, Taupin also created visual
"This is inspired by things 2019. art with thought-provoking
that inspire me," said Tau- Associated Press messages without the flag.
pin, who is credited for co- He has a piece of artwork
writing an array of songs called With Farm Dogs. overview of my work," he and Johnny Cash along with Woody Guthrie's "This
with John including "Rock- Taupin has been creating said. "It's certainly one of with chicken wire. Machine Kills Fascists" fa-
et Man," ''Bennie and The visual art since the age of the largest that I've ever Some of the flag artwork mous line, while another
Jets," ''Tiny Dancer" and 17, and he says his work has presented. This is very much on display has a clean or piece read "I Don't Play
"Candle in the Wind." He appeared in museums and me in the moment." weathered look. He inten- Rock 'n' Roll" with an assem-
is portrayed in John's new exhibits throughout the U.S. Taupin said veterans and tionally burned pieces of bly of broken guitars under-
biopic "Rocketman." He's The 69-year-old said his vi- family members of veter- the flag during his creation neath the message.
also written for Alice Coo- sual artwork is an extension ans who were killed in ac- process to show the differ- Michael Schwartz, founder
per and Willie Nelson, and of what he spent his life cre- tion donated the flags to ent elements of American of the Galerie Michael,
released three solo albums ating through words. him. The flags include im- patriotism. called Taupin one of those
and two others with a band "This is a comprehensive ages of Captain America Taupin said using the flag "rare creative geniuses."q

Madame Tussauds celebrates a bit of Broadway on Broadway

NEW YORK (AP) — On the plenty of filters, play a giant
ninth floor of the Madame interactive floor piano with
Tussauds building in New their feet (like the movie
York, they've built a little "Big") or belt out the finale
piece of Broadway. from "Phantom" in a fog-
A new permanent immer- filled gondola.
sive attraction opened "Broadway is an integral
Tuesday that offers visi- part of what New York is, so
tors an Instagram-ready we wanted to bring an im-
chance to put on costumes mersive experience and an
for some cosplay and sing interactive experience that
some of Broadway's most can give you a Broadway
famous show tunes, and you can't have anywhere
also gives a taste of what's else," said Kael Elliott, the
going on backstage, from lead creative producer
controlling fog to switching in North America for Ma-
on spot lights. dame Tussauds.
While it's billed as "The Ul- Madame Tussauds has
timate Broadway Experi- packed the space with
ence," the truth is it's more ways for the audience to
an Andrew Lloyd Webber pose beside wax figures
Experience, featuring only (Glenn Close from "Sunset
props, music and charac- Boulevard" is in the dress-
ters from the theater icon's ing room), put on Joseph's
work. His shows "The Phan- dreamcoat or play with
tom of the Opera," ''Jo- In this Jan. 28, 2018 file photo, Andrew Lloyd Webber arrives at the 60th annual Grammy Awards props. (Beware of the fall-
seph and the Technicolor at Madison Square Garden in New York. ing chandelier and the
Dreamcoat," ''Evita," ''Sun- Associated Press hairspray bottles that spew
set Boulevard" and "Cats" smoke). One highlight is a
are represented. "Cats" and a Phantom — his favorite Yamaha Cla- labyrinth (representing the Grizabella wax figure sing-
The self-guided tour in- four main chambers, and vinova. The price of a tour complex birth of artistic ing "Memory" that features
cludes three actors — play- 10 waxwork figures, includ- is included with the basic creation), visit a dressing a sculpted 3-D head, which
ing a stage manager, an ing one of Lloyd Webber $29.95 ticket. room to put on makeup in video projection brings
actress getting ready for himself, hunched over Visitors navigate a mirrored front of a digital screen with alive.q