JoAnne Tucker

The 92nd Street Y Presents…..

JoAnne Tucker / April 8, 2026 / Current Dance Events, New York Company, Personal Life

One of the challenges of living in Atenas is the lack of regular cultural stimulation. There are people engaged in the arts here, but no regular performances, exhibitions, or readings. There are some neat things that happen in San Jose but traveling to the city requires much planning, and considering transportation, and traffic to and from, it’s something I do only on special occasions such as when the Cuban ballet was here.

Opening my email two weeks ago I found myself smiling broadly, and excited to learn I could explore a virtual exhibit about modern dance at the Y and stream a recent performance that looked very interesting!

About the Y (“92NY”) and the Virtual Exhibit

The 92^nd Street Y has been a major presenter in the field of modern dance. This was shown beautifully in a 2024 exhibit, Dance to Belong: A History of Dance at 92NY. A digital version of the exhibit is now available to watch online:

Envisioned by Jody Gottfried Arnhold and created to celebrate 92NY’s 150th anniversary, the exhibition gathered rare photographs, programs, film footage, and ephemera to tell the complete story — showing how 92NY became a space for artists to explore identity, community, and meaning, often when few others would open their doors. https://www.92ny.org/dancetobelong/

Online, I enthusiastically entered the exhibition which tries to create the experience of being in the hall by using dots on the floor and arrows to go to the exhibits. Alas, it was frustrating for me because I could not zoom in close enough to read text or know who a dancer was in a photograph. I hope they will put together a film or a more user-friendly way to view it. Its organization is thoughtful, with sections such as Black Modernism, Bodies of War, and Dance as Political Manifesto.

About the Streamed Performance

The streamed concert was performed by Jodi Melnick and Sara Mearns as part of the Y’s series Women Move the World, a season of works curated and created by women. The concert was performed on March 27-28, 2026, and streaming became available on Sunday, March 29, for 72 hours. That was super because I had the opportunity to watch it more than once.

Melnick and Mearns have worked together for 10 years. Melnick has worked with choreographers including Twyla Tharp, Trisha Brown and Sara Rudner as well as doing her own choreography. Mearns is a member of the New York City Ballet who enjoys learning new repertory that is not available to her in that company. She has no interest in choreographing. Their backgrounds and what they bring to their work together is well documented, and I suggest readers who are interested in knowing more check out a recent article in The New York Times that also goes into detail about the concert I watched. Here’s the link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/arts/dance/sara-mearns-jodi-melnick-superbloom.html

You might also want to check out this interview on Dance Talk with Joanne Carey, where I learned alot about Melnick and Mearns’ backgrounds, how they met, and their work together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVUZAAiChfs

The concert opened with a short piece performed by Sara Mearns in the spirit of honoring the history of women choreographers at the Y. It combined movement from a piece by Anna Sokolow with movement from Sara Rudner. It featured shaking movement and was beautifully performed.

The main piece in the program was SuperBloom (Dancing into Choreographic Form). It opened with what sounded like rain, and Melnick in a single pool of light, with soft arms and gentle movement. The piece continued with a variety of different dance tempos, and dance groupings (duets, trios, quartets and more solos mainly done by the principal two dancers.) The dynamics changed, and for a piece that was probably 45 minutes long, it never got boring. The score for the piece was varied including nature sounds, chanting, and Melnick’s voice talking about the movement and her process.

A highlight was a duet between the two women done in silence with a mesmerizing backdrop by artist John Monti. The abstract backdrop of floral patterns constantly changed, enhancing the movement, and it was particularly meaningful when the patterns became part of Melnick and Mearns’ costumes.

Screenshot from SuperBloom. L to r, Jodi, Sara

In addition to the backdrop, Monti created two curving sculptural metal blossoms which Melnick and Mearns picked up and danced with.

The lighting was designed for the live event and this presented a challenge for those of us watching it online. I often lost the movement that was being done in darkly lit places.

While it wasn’t a wow artistic experience for me, I was very glad to be able to stream the concert and see what is happening in NYC now.

Most of all I was glad to sample a performance from the current season at the Harknes Dance Center at the 92nd Street Y, and it led me to reflect on a time 24 years ago when The Avodah Dance Ensemble, which I directed for over 30 years, performed at the Y as part of their Sundays at 3 series.

Avodah at the Y

Avodah shared the program, Dances of the Spirit, with two other choreographers, Kara Miller and Lynn Parkerson. Avodah presented two pieces, one of which was singled out by Jennifer Dunning in a review:

Ms. Tucker’s “Heroic Deeds” danced by her Avodah Dance Ensemble, distilled community need in a quartet as stark as its score by Ives. Isolated dancers made solitary journeys. Eventually all but one dancer interacted supportively. The dance built to a poignant moment when the hymn “Rock of Ages” filters through the score. (NY Times, April 10, 2002.)

For more information about “Heroic Deeds,” see this blog.

The performance on April 7, 2002, holds a special place in my memory. I am grateful that we were asked to participate in a program at this important venue of modern dance.

Program from the April 7, 2002 Performance

Working with a Trainer Brings Back Dance Memories

JoAnne Tucker / March 17, 2026 / Costa Rica, Personal Life

When the third doctor emphasized the importance of keeping one’s muscles strong as a senior, I thought it was time to act. A friend had mentioned an excellent trainer who came to her house, so I asked for the trainer’s name, made contact, and set up a date to begin.

It’s now three weeks later and I am loving the experience. We meet twice a week, and a third time I do some recommended exercises on my own. There were some challenges at first and I learned how important it is to communicate directly my reactions. I’m 83 years old. Keeping myself safe screams out at me.

“Please be mindful,” I calmly explain to my trainer on our third meeting.

I continue, “I want to feel the movement deeply and correctly and it’s important to go slowly with me and not push too far. Last session when we lengthened the twenty minutes of the first session to forty-five minutes, I was exhausted and it took me two days to recover.”

“Thank you,” Villi Alfaro responds. “Some people would just call and cancel. You didn’t. You are sharing your reaction. We’ll slow down.”

I sigh and am relieved. I am enjoying working with Villi and had a lot of fun the first session as we did playful twisting, reaching, squats, and modified pushup using the kitchen counter as our floor. It was the second session, which lasted over twice as long with more repetitions of each exercise and ended with walking around the atrium in the house with two-pound weights in each hand, that did me in. After making two circuits I felt shaky and like I might fall. Villi had noticed and wisely said not to do that on my own. When the fatigue lasted that evening and the next day, I knew I had to either quit or speak to her. The idea of quitting didn’t appeal to me.

Villi balanced the next workout at a pace that I could enjoy. She reminded me to rest, take deep breaths, and sip water between exercises or before a new set of repetitions. It worked. Muscles that have been asleep are stirring.

A special moment occurred when we were doing twists turning to one side, seated in a chair. As I twisted, a movement memory reminded me of being in class at the Martha Graham studio in New York City. We were sitting on the floor doing turns around the back. I remembered how the series began and advanced to a fall to the elbow, then a whip around of the upper body to the other side before a stretch out to the beginning side. I could feel sensations in my body that I hadn’t felt in years, particularly the first 6 counts of the Graham “turns around the back,” and I loved it. Over the next several sessions this pattern continued. Villi would introduce a new exercise and my muscle memory would take me to a modern dance class or a ballet class and I would find myself smiling and happy to be rediscovering movement that was familiar but hadn’t been used in years.

So often we read about how the body holds trauma. Much has been written about how trauma affects the body with the body remembering danger even when the threat is no longer there. Now I am experiencing the opposite. Beautiful memories are coming back. What surprises me is how detailed each memory is. I know the kind of class I am in and even the teacher. At one point as I was reaching over my head with a pole I found myself back in Alfredo Corvino’s ballet class and his emphasis on using the muscles under the shoulder blades.

JoAnne working with the pole, lifting a bent leg and
thinking about keeping her shoulders down. (Photo by Villi)

Oscar loves to be a part of our training session. He walks with us in the atrium and sometimes sits right beside me when I am doing exercises in the chair.

Oscar walking with me in the atrium. (Photo by Villi)

He is the first to greet Villi at the door and expects to be acknowledged. He loves to smell the different dog aromas on Villi’s legs and shoes.

A big thank you to the three doctors, each of whom emphasized the importance of maintaining muscles as a senior!

Bridgerton, Jack Murphy and Movement’s Important Role

JoAnne Tucker / March 5, 2026 / Current Events, Dance History, dance on television

It’s fascinating how promotional ads for television shows have changed over time, including with today’s abundance of social media and streaming possibilities. Years ago, phrases about a show spoken by the leading performer were used to entice people to watch. Jackie Gleason’s, “And away we go” and “How sweet it is” are examples of how slogans were used to motivate an audience to tune in during the 1950s.

Today the ads can be fast-paced collages from the upcoming program with intense music or totally nonverbal with skillfully choreographed movement such as one I found for Season 4, Part 2 of Bridgerton. The two main characters’ faces open the 32-second ad. First Benedict and then Sophie’s eyes peer out at us. Soon we see one hand and then another trace the edge of the antique tub followed by embraces and kisses with a dramatic blurry background. There are no words or captions until the end: “Only on Netflix, Part 1: Now Playing, Part 2: February 26.” https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/bridgerton-season-4-cast-release-date-news

“The ball” is an important part of the story line in all four seasons of Bridgerton. It reaches a new level of importance in Season 4 where the first episode is called “The Waltz.” The use of choreography gives us insight into each character’s life, as well as the tension that will be an important part of the plot.

One of the first screen shots is of actors at the ball doing asymmetrical arm gestures in a period dance. I did a double take and thought, “WOW, that’s cool. Ah… the choreographer is letting us know this is not going to be a normal ball!” And indeed, I was right.

The plot basically follows the Cinderella outline when Sophie arrives as a masked figure at the season’s opening ball and Benedict immediately falls in love with her! As the episode progresses we learn that Sophie does not know how to dance. There is a very sweet scene where Benedict patiently teaches her. This is introducing us to a new side of Benedict, as in previous seasons he was very much the playboy.

I was delighted to find an article in The New York Times on February 4, 2026, timed between Part 1 and Part 2, that spoke about the important role of dance in Season 4 and introduced Jack Murphy, the choreographer of all four seasons.

In Bridgerton, dance reflects rituals and norms, connects characters, heightens emotions, advances plot, creates spectacle, and brings audiences — on the edges of the ballroom and the other side of the screen — into the action.

“It’s kind of the backbone of the show, not only when our main characters are going through their courtship,” said Tom Verica, an executive producer and director of the show. “There’s so much in the pomp and circumstance and the rules of the world that comes through dance,” he said, adding that it illustrates how people communicated and fell in love.

“It’s all about powerful nonverbal communication that extends beyond the limits of dialogue,” said Jack Murphy, the show’s choreographer, who trained as an actor.

“She’s spellbound by it,” Murphy said of how Sophie responds to the ball. “I made everything, as much as possible, asymmetric. So it’s very beautiful, but it’s broken, and that’s because, actually, we also know she doesn’t belong.” At the same time, “she’s not frightened,” he added. “She is desperately, desperately drawn to the movement of it, this freedom, this abandonment, this swirling. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/arts/dance/bridgerton-waltz.html

I immediately wanted to know more about Jack Murphy, and what led him to use period dance patterns in creative ways. He has an excellent website. I learned he is based in London and has worked in television, film and theatre. His approach is different than most choreographers as he trained as an actor. He has extensive knowledge of period dances from the Middle Ages to 20^th century social dance. I love how he lists all these different dance styles on this page of his website: https://www.jackmurphymovement.co.uk/dances

What makes him stand out is how he approaches his work with directors. In an interview on Shondaland.com he shared:

As movement director — or director of movement — I am there to collaborate with a director. I’m there to assist in realizing their vision of the piece physically. A lot of directors I work with are very good at mining the intention of the text, but they don’t have the same confidence with placing that into space.

I strongly suggest visiting both Murphy’s website and the Shondaland site and watching the videos available to get a good idea of his teaching style, and how he uses movement to help the actors realize the director’s concept. Also make sure to look at the list of the numbers of films he has worked on along with the actors he has helped.

Here’s a screenshot of Murphy working with the cast of Bridgerton taken from the video called Behind Bridgerton: Inside the Scene: A Dance Story, published on June 6, 2024, in an article written by Mia Brabham Nolan. https://www.shondaland.com/shondaland-series/bridgerton/choreographer-jack-murphy-explains-how-rage-runs-deep-in-a-bridgerton-ball

In closing: I am pleased to share that my blog “A Burning Desire to Choreograph” was reprinted in Stance on Dance: https://stanceondance.com/2026/02/02/burning-desire-to-choreograph/

Joy of Watching Olympic FIgure Skating

JoAnne Tucker / February 13, 2026 / Childhood, Personal Life

What a joy to be able to watch three hours of figure skating on Sunday afternoon. Most people were getting ready to watch the Super Bowl. I was thrilled to watch the Olympic team finals in real time and was mesmerized by both the technical skills and the artistic talents of the athletes. Yes, the top two in each category were outstanding but so were those that placed in third, fourth and fifth. Their scores count too. An example is the US pairs couple of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea who placed fourth. The extra point they made by placing fourth instead of fifth contributed to the United States winning the gold medal for the team competition. Kam and O’Shea caught my attention for their enthusiasm and commitment to helping their team.

Screenshot from the Olympics of Kam and O’Shea doing a lift.

Screenshot from the Olympics at the moment Kam and O’Shea finished their program.

Yesterday evening I was able to replay the three hours of pairs rhythmic skating. There were 23 pairs competing in this short program which is part of ice dancing. A lot of them were not outstanding, yet I enjoyed watching them and knowing how hard they worked to be able to represent their country at the Olympics even though they had no chance of winning a medal. The pride they took in completing their program and the enthusiasm with which their coaches greeted them after their performance was heartwarming. The crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena applauded the efforts enthusiastically. I thought of how much the skaters had given up for these few minutes so I was happy to be part of the audience watching them.

My own history with figure skating goes back to when I was a teenager taking lessons on Friday in an after-school program at the Duquesne Gardens in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has a long history with ice skating, both figure skating and hockey. John Harris, an entertainment executive from Pittsburgh, got the idea for the Ice Capades when he brought in Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie to entertain the audience between periods of hockey games in the late 1930’s. The performance was so well received that in 1940 he got together with arena managers from eight other cities and proposed an ice show that could tour to each of their towns.

In researching I found that the Ice Capades held skate classes at the Duquesne Gardens in the 1940s on Saturday morning. I think that the figure skating class I went to on Friday after school was taught by a sister or family member of John Harris, but I don’t have any way to verify that. I loved it. It was a very technical class, where we learned how to use our inside and outside edges. We did lots of figure eights and made patterns of a three that I think required us to switch the side of edge we used. We had different skill levels we had to master and when you reached one level, you were promoted to the next. I quickly progressed to the highest level and was thrilled when I could do a little jump using the picks of my skate or going down with one leg in front in what was called “shoot the duck.” At the end of one semester of classes I was invited to continue in the advanced class. I dreamed of being in the Ice Capades. The problem was that it was held on Saturday morning, when I was expected to attend Rodef Shalom’s religious school (through confirmation, which was several years off). I begged to be able to take the ice-skating advanced class on Saturday but my parents’ response was once I was confirmed I could go. By then I was very serious about dance, and skating was just for fun.

The love of watching figure skating and understanding how hard it is has stayed with me. I have enjoyed going to ice skating shows like the Ice Capades and watching figure skating competitions on television. Indeed, it is a joy to be able to watch so much beautiful skating on TV right now.

Ballet of the Birds – A Visit to Arenal Observatory Lodge

JoAnne Tucker / January 22, 2026 / Costa Rica, Personal Life

On a recent visit to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, the balcony of my room gave me a perfect view of the birdfeeder on a deck outside of the restaurant, where the birds soared in to partake of their watermelon treat. The feeder, which is refreshed several times a day, is on a pulley system where it is lowered to the ground so a member of the staff can fill it with fresh-cut watermelon slices and then raise it twenty feet above ground.

The most spectacular time for watching both birds and people is at 6:30 a.m., before the restaurant opens. Two rows of about 40 or 50 people gather to photograph or watch through binoculars the solos, duets, and trios of birds that flutter in, quietly eat and depart, most likely to return. Sometimes there are several of the same species and other times a single bird.

I spent two awesome days at the lodge in early January and loved every minute of it. Hanging out on the deck and watching from my balcony were not the only highlights. I went with my grandson and his partner on a night hike. I had carefully asked at the desk whether the hike was fairly level and suitable for a senior in her early 80s. I was assured it was. Well, I am indeed grateful to our patient guide, my grandson and his partner and my two hiking sticks. I successfully handled the hike and delighted in the unusual frogs we saw. My grandson walked behind me and his partner in front shining his flashlight so I could clearly see the NUMEROUS steps we had to climb down.

Red-Eyed Tree Frog photographed on the night hike

A morning walk by the lodge provided an extraordinary opportunity to photograph a family of coatis and the fiery-billed aracari.

One member of the coati family scampering along to catch up with the others

Most of the time the peak of the volcano was covered in clouds. This presented a watercolor challenge that filled an afternoon as my two travel companions took off on a strenuous hike.

The bird list supplied by the lodge identified 500 species on the property. I added quite a few to my bird list. Here are a few of my favorite photos taken either on the deck or from my balcony. Hmm …. I wonder which ones will be references for new paintings.

Montezuma Oropendola watching the feeder, waiting for his turn to fly in.

Discovering Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Read by Julie Andrews

JoAnne Tucker / January 1, 2026 / Book Review, Personal Life

Now that I am part of the Atenas Writers’ Group, I am aware of huge gaps in my reading background – works that would have proved useful to my skill as a writer. Since I was focused on dance and theatre in my teens and college years, I took only the absolute required courses in humanities, social studies and sciences. I have some catching up to do now, and I was thrilled when I saw that Dame Julie Andrews was reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice on the Noiser podcast channel. I subscribed and have loved every minute of listening to the 25 episodes. Here’s how Noiser describes it:

Jane Austen Stories is the new show from the Noiser podcast network, narrated by Dame Julie Andrews. In Season One, Julie reads Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, one of the most beloved novels in English literature. Join us twice a week as we journey through the grand estates and glittering ballrooms of Regency England. Meet the Bennet family, spirited Elizabeth Bennet, and the enigmatic Mr. Darcy, in a world where romance, wit, and social scandal collide.

I hope this is just the beginning and that Dame Julie Andrews will read more of Jane Austen’s classics.

This past December marked the 250^th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. She died very young – at the age of 41.

Julie Andrews celebrated her own 90^th birthday on October 1^st. As I began to think about writing this blog, I realized that not only has Julie Andrews had an amazing career, she has continued to do interesting things in her 80s and now as she is 90! I am in my 80s, and finding role models who continue fostering and sharing their creativity is important to me.

I have been following Julie Andrews’s career since I was 13, when my father took my Mom and me to New York City, where he had to attend a business meeting. Luckily, he had his evening free, and so off we went to see three Broadway shows: Diary of Anne Frank, Gypsy, and My Fair Lady. My parents patiently waited at the stage doors while I got autographs. The only program and autograph I kept over the years was Julie Andrews’s. I remember it was lightly raining and most of the actors rushed on, but Julie stayed to autograph my playbill, even sharing her umbrella with me. What fun I had over the next year playing the LP of My Fair Lady, pretending I was Eliza Doolittle and dancing enthusiastically to the songs in our downstairs playroom.

Over the years I have followed Julie’s career, seeing most of her films, including ones that are not so well known. While studying at Juilliard I saw her in Camelot and later, when I was living in the New York area, in Victor, Victoria.

While there is much I could write about how her performances entertained and inspired me over the years, what I want to focus on is what she has done since 2015 when she turned 80 and how that serves as inspiration to me now that I am in my 80s.

Voiceovers and children’s books are things that she started earlier and continues to do. This year she received an Emmy for her role as Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton. Among the films she has done voices for are Despicable Me, Shrek, Aquaman, Minions – The Rise of Gru, and (as narrator) The King’s Daughter.

Julie has written over 30 books, many of them with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. She began to focus more on writing when botched surgery damaged her amazing singing voice. She rallied when her daughter Emma encouraged her to write, and she reported she had found in writing a new way to use her voice. Most recent books with her daughter Emma include: Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years (2019); The First Notes (2022); The Enchanted Symphony (2023) and Waiting in the Wings (2024).

In 2017 she and her daughter developed and produced Julie’s Greenroom, a 13-episode children’s program on Netflix, in which Julie appears with guests such as Bill Irwin, Idina Menzel and Tiler Peck. It is still available to watch.

In several interviews I watched, Julie talked about liking to direct. Some research led me to learn that in 2016 she directed a production of My Fair Lady for the Sydney Opera House. The program bill stated, “the 60^thanniversary revival recreates the original Broadway staging under the direction of its original leading lady.” And in 2024 she directed a sold-out production of The Great American Mousical, based on the book she and Emma wrote. It wasn’t the first time she directed The Great American Mousical. What fun to see she directed it again in her late 80s.

In 2024, “Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames” was released, and Julie is interviewed throughout the film. It is a beautiful honoring of her husband of 41 years who passed away in 2010.

For the past four years I offered artist residency programs at my home here in Costa Rica. Part of my motivation for doing this was to have creative energy around me. Sometimes this force existed, and the house was filled with a freshness that was fun to be around. But I learned that I couldn’t predict when that would happen. Age was not the guiding factor, as I experienced this inspiring energy with artists in their 20s and others in their 70s and even 80s. Too often though there was a heaviness in the air. I’m not sure why. Was it the themes the artists were working on? Their frustration that their book hadn’t been published yet or a pressure that they needed to accomplish something special here, so instead of being playful and enjoying the opportunity, they were pressuring themselves? Sometimes the residency was just a convenience between residencies – having a place to stay without paying rent. (Yes, there are quite a few people who go from one residency to another, and rarely was the house filled with creative energy when hosting a residency hopper.)

Now that I’m taking a break from offering residencies, I find I am writing and painting more. I also delight in finding role models such as Julie Andrews who are older than I am, expressing themselves in new ways. It is invigorating to learn how they share their creative talents. A big thank you to Dame Julie Andrews for reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for the 250^th anniversary of Austen’s birth. As I listened to each episode I felt like I was having a cup of tea with a friend and learning about the happenings of the Bennet family. With so much change and chaos in the world, these moments are most treasured.

I welcome you to share role models that are inspiring you, and special moments that are breaks from the chaos of the news. With wishes for 2026 that we might be inspired to explore new creative adventures.

The Beast in Me: Not My Usual Choice of TV

JoAnne Tucker / December 19, 2025 / Personal Life

I generally shy aware from psychological thrillers, either movies or series. My daughter Julie told me recently that she had finished casting a new limited series production for Netflix. She had really liked working on it and thought maybe I would enjoy it despite the violence.

OK, if Julie is recommending it, maybe I should check it out. I did and found myself quickly hooked to The Beast in Me. Before I get into some specifics about its subject matter and why I liked it so much, here are some suggestions if you are wimpy like me and don’t like violence. I did not binge watch it. When there was violence, I just closed my eyes and waited until the scene had passed. I watched an episode early in the evening and then followed it with a fun movie or even a few scenes from a movie that I had previously enjoyed, to make me laugh and put me in a good mood to go to bed.

About The Beast in Me. The main character, played by Claire Danes, is a writer. She is currently stuck on her next book, which is about the friendship between Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. That immediately got my interest as I am a fan of RBG and I’m in a writer’s group. We often share how hard it is to keep moving along on our projects and how easy it is to find ourselves blocked. Aggie, Claire’s character, recently lost an 8-year-old son to a drunk driver, and she is separated from her wife and living alone. The plot heightens when Niles Jarvis (played by Matthew Rhys), a multimillionaire real estate developer who is thought to have allegedly killed his wife, moves in next door. As the 8-part series progresses, Aggie will abandon her project on the friendship of the two justices and focus on writing about Jarvis. I don’t want to give away any of the plot. I encourage you to watch it unravel for yourself.

My husband Murray (who passed away five years ago) and I regularly shared the joy that raising our two daughters brought to us and how proud we were – and I am – of the lives that they have built for themselves with their families and strong dynamic careers.

As Mom, I can brag here that I am not at all surprised by the fine job Julie did with casting in The Beast in Me. She is well recognized in her field. You can check out her imdb page if you want to know about the shows she has cast and awards she has won. Each actor perfectly fit the part they played. The casting choice of Kate Burton and Bill Irwin as the parents of Niles’s missing wife delighted me. Kate Burton and Bill Irwin played roles in the development of Julie’s career when she was starting out. How wonderful that she was able to use their talent as guest artists in The Beast in Me.

Kudos for the writing, direction and use of music. The techniques used build the suspense.

The Golden Globe nominations were recently announced and The Beast in Me received three nominations: Best Limited Series; Matthew Rhys, for Best Actor in a Limited Series; and Claire Danes, Best Actress in a Limited Series. I’ll be watching in January, rooting for the series and actors to win.

**Promotional Poster from the Wikipedia Page**

Music Events that Tingle, Caress and Thrill – 1962 to 1965 Pittsburgh

JoAnne Tucker / November 19, 2025 / Music, Personal Life

In last month’s blog I mentioned how the outstanding concert of the Alma Duo reminded me of the musical events that I attended over 60 years ago. My husband Murray (who passed away in October of 2020) and I regularly attended the Pittsburgh Symphony and chamber music concerts when we dated and in the first few years of our marriage.

In September 1962, I had finished two years at Juilliard and returned home to begin work in the fall on my undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Murray was starting his graduate studies in economics at the University of Pittsburgh. Our dating consisted of attending sports and music events. Murray’s father, Joe Tucker, was “the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers” and worked at WWSW, a local radio station. He received passes to the Pittsburgh Symphony and the YM&YWHA Chamber Music Series, but he rarely went, and so he gave the passes to us. We loved going.

Our seats were usually in the first row of the Syria Mosque Auditorium. While this seating may not have been the best for acoustics, it did give us an opportunity to witness the passion and intensity of the musicians, particularly the guest artists.

Syria Mosque was a 3,700 seat performance venue located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1911 and dedicated on October 26, 1916, the building was originally built as a “mystical” shrine for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (the Shriners)…. It was recognized as one of the best examples of Exotic Revival architecture. …. It held numerous events over the years, mainly highlighted by concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria_Mosque

William Steinberg was the conductor of the symphony during the time we attended. I knew he was very much respected by the members of the orchestra and was considered a top conductor. I had no idea of the extent of his reputation or how outstanding he really was. In reading about him I learned that he felt a deep connection to the members of the Pittsburgh Symphony. On his death in 1978 his stepson remembered him:

He moved to Pittsburgh in 1952. His career reached its zenith there. He built the Orchestra into an instrument totally sensitive to his will, his touch. He loved them like his children and criticized them as such. For twenty-five years he made beautiful music with that orchestra. Even when their sound was not as good as that of greater ensembles, they played for him beyond their capacities. He was desolate when he retired, he did not want to let go. https://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/pso_home/web/about-landing/history/history-of-the-pittsburgh-symphony-orchestra

In doing more research I learned that Steinberg was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1899. He showed musical talent at a very young age. He had excellent training and a blossoming career in Europe until 1933 when Nazi brownshirts interrupted a rehearsal and lifted the baton out of his hand while he was rehearsing an opera. The only place he could conduct was for the Jewish Culture League in Frankfurt and Berlin. In 1936 he and his wife left Germany for Palestine. Eventually he migrated to the U.S., where his longest standing position was in Pittsburgh. Reviews of his concerts show that he turned the Pittsburgh Symphony into one of America’s first-rank ensembles.

I have a clear memory of how he calmly conducted the orchestra. He was known for having rehearsed the musicians well – hence his quiet conducting style, just to remind the musicians of the dynamics he wanted.

Two of the amazing guest artists whose performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony were musical highlights in my life were violinist Yehudi Menuhin and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

Murray and JoAnne (1963 – dressed to go out, to a concert ??)

There were other very memorable musical events in Pittsburgh besides the evenings attending the Symphony. The one that stands out most in my mind was when Pablo Casals conducted musicians in two concerts which featured the full six Brandenburg Concertos. Pablo Casals, in 1965 at the age of 88, spent two weeks in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) where he worked with musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony, and faculty and students from the university’s music department, in all six Brandenburg Concertos.

I found a reference to a firsthand account online:

“Casals’ direction must be seen as well as heard,” the story said. “He was supposed to conduct from a seated position but the excitement of a phrase, the upsurge of a crescendo or the neat realization of a cadence brought him to his feet time and again.”

“He sings a bit here and there, and he is not above stamping his foot to bring an errant musician into the strict tempi he employs,” Mr. Steinfirst wrote. https://www.post-gazette.com/local/pittsburgh-history/2015/04/26/eyewitness-1965-cliburn-casals-credited-with-fine-week-for-culture/stories/201504260062

I remember thinking these were concerts that not only touched me musically but felt like a total theatre experience. Reading the firsthand account confirms why I felt that way.

I was first introduced to one of the Brandenburg Concertos while a student at Juilliard. It was the music that accompanied a piece by Doris Humphrey and Ruth Currier. Brandenburg No.4 was performed at Juilliard during the time I was there. I liked the piece very much, particularly how the movement fit Bach’s music. Doris Humphrey died while choreographing the piece in 1958. Ruth Currier finished the piece in 1959 and set it on selected students from Juilliard around 1961 or ’62. There is an excerpt on YouTube with students from the University of Utah performing the piece in 1991, set from a Labanotation score. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfiw8YK4H8

Screen shot from the 1991 Brandenberg No. 4 – University of Utah

I am not a big fan of listening to recorded classical music. I like to attend live concerts, and I like to sit up close, where I can see the musicians. It is the passion of the musicians as they play that inspires me and takes me to a magical place as I feel my breathing change, heart rate responding and limbs tingling. Indeed, the concerts in Pittsburgh were special shared time with Murray, and now I feel so lucky to have moments like that again in Costa Rica with Alma Duo. (Check out the last month’s blog if you haven’t already read it.)

An Amazing Concert – Listening for Two

JoAnne Tucker / October 12, 2025 / Uncategorized

Several years ago, I met Rubia Santos at a social event of Hacienda Atenas, the community where we both live. We immediately felt a connection. Rubia is an internationally known concert pianist whose home base is now Costa Rica, where she is on the music faculty of The University of Costa Rica. When her schedule permits, we enjoy coffee together and often share ideas about healthy vegan eating.

Shortly after meeting Rubia, I received an invitation to a concert she and violinist Lourdes Lobo were giving in a private home. The concert was part of a fundraising series they planned in order to record all the Beethoven piano and violin sonatas. That sounded interesting so I went, and I continued to go, including to the most recent concert this past August 31. I have enjoyed them all, but this last one was AMAZING.

The concert took my breath away not only for the violin and piano sonata they played but also for the Brahmstrio for piano, violin and cello.

The setting for the concerts is extraordinary, in an open-air room on the second level of a contemporary house in Santa Ana. The acoustics are excellent and there is the added treat of watching the sunset over San Jose. Sometimes it seems like the clouds are dancing to the music. As the room probably can only handle about 50 people, there is a very intimate feeling to the event. Following the concert there is a lovely reception with hors d’oeuvres and wine.

Rubia and Lourdes met in 2017 when they were adjudicating the Competition for Young Soloists at the University of Costa Rica. Shortly after, they started working together, referring to themselves as The Duo Alma. They promote Latin American music. At the earlier concerts I went to, music of Brazilian and Costa Rican composers was performed along with a different Beethoven sonata] for piano and violin.

Rubia and Lourdes both have outstanding musical careers.

Rubia is currently on the faculty at the University of Costa Rica and has previously taught at universities in the U.S. and Germany. She has a passion for musical pieces of composers of her native county of Brazil, including them in her repertory and often premiering new piano works. She has collaborated with various artists and ensembles and been guest artist in music festivals throughout the world. Here’s a link to read more about Rubia’s extraordinary career.

Lourdes is from San Jose, Costa Rica, and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Costa Rica with an emphasis in violin. She is a former violinist with the National Symphony of Costa Rica. She worked at Colegio Superior de Senoritas, an interesting high school for women founded in 1888. She has regularly performed in Costa Rica for the past 15 years, and since forming The Duo Alma with Rubia, the pair has toured in Latin America.

For the Brahms trio they were joined by the gifted cellist Ji Yon Shim Anderson, who completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in 2004 at the University of Illinois, where she was a member of the University of Illinois Graduate String Quartet and a Cello Teaching Assistant. She has been on the faculty of several universities. She holds the highest prize “Virtuosite” by the Haute Conservatoire de Musique de Geneve in Switzerland. She has been a soloist with many orchestras In the U.S., and she is part of the Ko Trio. While in Brazil, Dr. Anderson was invited to be soloist with numerous symphonic orchestras, building a large classical repertory. It was during her time in Brazil that she got to know Rubia. Here’s a link to learn more about Dr. Anderson.

The program opened with The Violin Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96, written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1812, published in 1816. According to Wikipedia:

It is described as the loveliest of his violin sonatas, with “calm, ethereal beauty” and “a searching test for the players.” Everything must be right, from the very first trill. The opening trill is an integral part of the subject.

The sonata is in four movements and there are several excellent recordings on YouTube. The piece is nearly a half-hour long and often I found dance images filling my head as the musicians performed. I look forward to getting a copy of The Duo Alma’s recording when it is available. From the opening to the end, I was totally drawn in.

The second piece was Johannes Brahms’s Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op 8, written in 1854 when Brahms was only 20 years old. There is an excellent detailed description of each of the four movements in Wikipedia. I encourage you to check it out along with one of the videos on YouTube. It is a long piece – well over a half hour.

On this evening, more strongly than at any of the other Duo Alma concerts, and particularly during the Brahms trio, I felt like Murray was very much with me and that I was not only listening for myself but for him too. Murray was my husband, who passed away in October of 2020. When we dated in 1963, and during the first two years of our marriage (1964 and 1965), going to concerts was one of the things we loved doing. We attended the Pittsburgh Symphony on a regular basis as well as the YM&YWHA, which had an excellent chamber music series. Many great musicians were guest artists with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the direction of William Steinberg. Because Murray’s father, Joe Tucker, was “the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers” and worked at WWSW, a local radio station, he had passes to the Pittsburgh Symphony and the YM&YWHA. He rarely went, and instead gave the passes to us. We loved going. In fact, in remembering those concerts and doing a little research on William Steinberg, I am inspired to do a separate blog on them.

Each time The Duo Alma has performed, I have left feeling like “my cup runneth over” with musical treats to last me for the next several months when hopefully they will perform again. Thank you, Rubia, Lourdes and guest Dr. Anderson for this stupendous musical experience.

l. to r. Lourdes and Rubia (Photo by Costa Rican photographer Yerick Calvo)

Barba: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical – Opening Night Review

JoAnne Tucker / September 15, 2025 / Costa Rica, Musical Theater

In spite of my limited Spanish, the nearly two-hour production kept me totally engaged. This is a creative retelling of the story of Fernando Barba, who developed a system of using the body as a musical instrument.

Among the evening highlights were two young actors playing the part of Barba and Barba’s sister. Young Barba is played by Saul Vega, whose excellent voice and stage presence light up the stage. Barba’s sister Young Tata is played by Samy Araya. She too captures our attention. The two young performers do a lovely duet establishing the strength of their characters’ relationship. Particularly strong is Samy’s ability to show how Tata goes from a healthy, playful child to a handicapped person, needing to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

The lead is capably played by Rafael Esteban Arias Castro, who also produced the production in Costa Rica. The role of Barba’s sister Tata is ably played by Adriana Viquez Garcia.

It is the full ensemble’s body playing and engaging movement that stands out the most. From the very first number to the end, it is the well done musical and dance moments that I loved. Each has its own character and way of moving the story along. One highlight is the waterfall/echo number where the ensemble moves into the audience with only Barba and his romantic interest Dani (played by Betazbeth Rojas) center stage. The echo sounds done by the ensemble create a beautiful, dreamy setting leading Dani to think that Barba will be proposing to her, only to find out he has brought her to this special place to tell her that the Barbatuques have been asked to perform at the Olympics.

Another special ensemble time is when the Barbatuques are about to perform, and a car alarm goes off. Instead of letting this be a distraction, they build it right into their dynamic musical moment, adding another layer of texture.

While the whole ensemble does an excellent job, two members, Amy Lopez and Andy Gomez, stand out for their strong dance ability. Assistant Musical Director Matt Graham both plays the keyboard onstage and at other times joins the ensemble, moving and body playing with them.

Following the curtain call, Rafael welcomed the creative team to join the cast onstage. Carlos Bauzys, the composer and co-book writer, stepped out and ended the evening by directing the audience to become a symphony in the Barba style. It was great fun to follow his direction and so cool to see how everyone around me was enjoying it too. What a wonderful way to end the evening. I do hope that at any performance when Carlos can’t be there, either Matt Graham (the assistant musical director) or Rafael (who plays Barba) will guide the audience in body percussion.

Teatro Espressivo is a wonderful intimate venue. It is nicely sloped so there is not a bad seat in the house.

Barba runs until September 28^th. Here’s the link to buy your ticket: https://boleteria.espressivo.cr/eventperformances.asp?evt=476