{"id":825,"date":"2012-03-18T18:35:46","date_gmt":"2012-03-18T22:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/?p=825"},"modified":"2012-03-19T19:23:13","modified_gmt":"2012-03-19T23:23:13","slug":"obama-at-javanese-shadow-puppet-show-asia-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2012\/03\/obama-at-javanese-shadow-puppet-show-asia-society.html","title":{"rendered":"Obama at Javanese shadow puppet show, Asia Society"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wayang Obama, photo by Elza Ruiz<\/p><\/div>\n

President Obama made a surprise cameo appearance at the Asia Society’s production<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0of a Javanese shadow puppet show\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0— a\u00c2\u00a0Wayang Kulit — by dhalang Ki Purbo Asmoro with Gamelan Kusuma Laras on Manhattan’s upper east side on Friday night (March 16).<\/p>\n

As a translucent strip of water buffalo hide, upright if not as nimble\u00c2\u00a0on his tusk-bone rods as flesh-and-blood Obama is on the campaign trail, \u00c2\u00a0the puppet Obama popped up among a trio of clownish Javanese street-types. At first they addressed him with awe, one bowing to kiss the President’s ring. But then he turned assertive, urging — admonishing! — President O to spend US money on arts and education, not on war.<\/p>\n

The puppet president said he would. Gongs struck and bells rang, a deep bass drum thumped, women sang in the highest range of human pitch, a haze of whistles, wavery flutes, bowed strings sounds or maybe just overtones arose over the gaggle of musicians sitting crosslegged at bottoms-up brass kettles lodged firmly in low, carved wood frames. The musicians hammered short, repeating note patterns on the xylophone-like metal slats, banged on slender barrel drums and struck cymbals.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

memnbers of Gamelan Kusuma Laras, directed by I.M. Harjito; photo by Elza Ruiz<\/p><\/div>\n

The audience would have become raucous if we’d been at one of Java’s traditional seven-hour wayang kulit extravaganzas, outdoors family overnight picnics held in fields, fairgrounds, village squares, parks, schools, really anywhere. But then we’d have been sitting on the far side of a screen to watch the puppets’ shadows, rather than in theater seats at the elegant Asia Society edifice on Park Avenue. We wouldn’t have watched the shadow-side of the show on a big tv screen at the lip of the \u00c2\u00a0stage.<\/p>\n

No simultaneous English translation would have been projected above the puppet stage of the dhalang’s multi-voiced characterizations depicting Bima’s Spiritual Enlightenment and quest-search from forest floor to the ocean depths. There’d have been no live webcast of the event (I assume it will be archived eventually at AsiaSociety.org\/live<\/a>). We’d have been in Java or Bali.<\/p>\n

Indonesian wayang kulits and performances by gamelan orchestras aren’t frequent in NYC, and though this one was spectacular, it required a stretch of the imagination and suspension of residents’ inherent impatience to enjoy. Obama showing up during a comic interlude spelling relief from the Bima plot lent the evening its liveliest moments.<\/p>\n

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Ki Purbo Asmoro, dhalang (puppet master), photo by Elza Ruiz<\/p><\/div>\n

A dhalang, the puppet master, is supposed to be adept at improvising such bits of social commentary as well as philosophical speculation and dramatic variations; dhalang\u00c2\u00a0Purbo Asmoro is, according to Asia Society’s program notes, “at the forefront of the modern, classical interpretive treatment” of wayang. Reportedly he both embodies the 900-year-old traditions of the form, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of human heritage,” and also adopts contemporary innovations, while standing above recent trends to trivialize the art or render it unfamiliarly avant-garde.<\/p>\n

However, the story drawn from the Hindu epic Mahabharata is neither familiar to most Westerners nor compelling to audiences conditioned to fast-paced editing and computer generated imagery.\u00c2\u00a0Bahasa Indonesia <\/em>is incomprehensible to most Americans so Asmoro’s inflections, asides and word-play were lost on us (Kathryn (Kitsie) Emerson is amazing at the simultaneous translation, howver, keying it into the computer as quick as Asmoro spoke) . The tale’s humor and puppets’\u00c2\u00a0knockabout tiffs\u00c2\u00a0seemed roughly as sophisticated as a Three Stooges routine. Time didn’t have our accustomed pace.<\/p>\n

Yet the shadow theater and gamelan experience is worthwhile precisely for taking us from our usual entertainments. For a while I sat in a front row, two yards at most from the orchestra, and became immersed in the shimmering net of sonic ribbons and knots, dynamic intensities and relaxations created almost exclusively by the synchronized percussion.<\/a> \u00c2\u00a0If I didn’t understand the puppet master’s nuances, I could admire his handwork, commanding stick figures to bob and weave, strike poses of pride and humility. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat concentrating on psychological realism, but no one suggested that I should be.<\/p>\n

With audience members coming and going, people of all ages walking up onstage to view the puppets as they’re viewed in Java and Bali, shadows on a screen, a welcomed informality reigned.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Wayang Kulit at the Asia Society, wrong side of the screen; photo by Elza Ruiz<\/p><\/div>\n

The Asia Society provided food and drink and places to sit and chat outside the theater, in emulation of the festive, neighborly atmosphere wayang kulits create at home. In shadow puppet and gamelan shows, there is apparently no fourth wall.<\/p>\n

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President Obama made a surprise cameo appearance at the Asia Society’s production\u00c2\u00a0of a Javanese shadow puppet show\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0— a\u00c2\u00a0Wayang Kulit — by dhalang Ki Purbo Asmoro with Gamelan Kusuma Laras on Manhattan’s upper east side on Friday night (March 16). As a translucent strip of water buffalo hide, upright if not as nimble\u00c2\u00a0on his tusk-bone rods […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-main","8":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/barack-puppet1.jpeg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1i3CL-dj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":838,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2012\/03\/shadow-puppet-and-javanese-gamelan-video-now-viewable.html","url_meta":{"origin":825,"position":0},"title":"Shadow puppet and Javanese gamelan video now viewable","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"March 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"A followup: the Asia Society posted the \u00c2\u00a0entire video of the \u00c2\u00a03.5 hour wayang kulit (shadow puppet and Javanese gamelan orchestra\u00c2\u00a0performance) that I wrote about Sunday -- the one in which President Obama stopped by -- in five parts. And colleague Richard Gehr wrote up the event for the Village\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/puppet-head1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2007\/07\/jazz_beyond_jazz.html","url_meta":{"origin":825,"position":1},"title":"Jazz Beyond Jazz","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"July 17, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"What if there's more to jazz than you suppose? What if jazz demolishes suppositions and breaks all bounds? What if jazz - and the jazz beyond, behind, under and around jazz - could enrich your life? What if jazz is the subtle, insightful, stylish, soulful, substantive guide to successful navigation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "about"","block_context":{"text":"about","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/about"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":124,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2008\/09\/jazz_and_politics_show_of_hand.html","url_meta":{"origin":825,"position":2},"title":"Presidential politics and jazz: Show of hands","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"September 21, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Google \"Obama\" and \"jazz\" and this\u00c2\u00a0Jazz Beyond Jazz\u00c2\u00a0post\u00c2\u00a0comes up second! The search engine flatters, so here's more research on the connection\/support of the jazz world for the candidates, and the candidates of jazz (as a fundamental American cultural phenomenon). This concert\u00c2\u00a0seems indicative of most jazz musicians' preference: (gen'l admission: $100;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":154,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2009\/01\/armstrong_to_ellington_to_obam.html","url_meta":{"origin":825,"position":3},"title":"Armstrong to Ellington to Obama","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"January 15, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"If anyone needs a primer on how jazz leads directly to the inauguration of Barack Obama as 44th president of the U.S., see Nat Hentoff's Wall Street Journal article\u00c2\u00a0on the history of musicians, audiences, presenters and producers of all \"colors\" in the struggle for Civil Rights.\u00c2\u00a0The march from Buddy Bolden\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":150,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2009\/01\/hope_we_still_hope_we_can_beli.html","url_meta":{"origin":825,"position":4},"title":"Hope we still hope we can believe in","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"January 6, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"We -- I -- need a deep-winter burst of positivity. The Presidential election was two months ago, and nothing has changed! Except the pres-elect is getting heat for all he hasn't done (bring peace to Israel-Gaza, fix the economy, justify appointments) while the sitting lame duck gets a virtual pass\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1072,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2012\/10\/jazzers-for-obama-in-nyc-tonight.html","url_meta":{"origin":825,"position":5},"title":"Jazzers for Obama in NYC tonight","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"October 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Jazz for Obama talent pool fundraising for the re-election of the President at Symphony Space \u00c2\u00a0(2537 Broadway,\u00c2\u00a0NYC) tonight is\u00c2\u00a0stellar. Roy Haynes, Joe Lovano, Brad Mehldau, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, Jim Hall, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ravi Coltrane, Arturo O'Farrill, Kenny Garrett, Geri Allen, Jeff 'Tain\" Watts,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/barack1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}