Opera of the Obsessed

Vinod rise01
Originally uploaded by FredMikeRudy.
Original Photo by Jennifer Ward

There's a whole theory that our generation is totally self-obsessed.
To that we say, "Um, yeah." This idea is examined in two exhibits opening
today at Commerce Street Artists Warehouse. "Because the music he
constantly plays says nothing to me about my life..." is a group show
featuring various New York artists, whose photographs -- such as one of
a woman dancing in a pit of shirtless men -- and sculptures examine the media
and the joys of narcissism. Complementing the exhibit will be Vinod Hopson's
one-night show The Rise...a karaoke narrative. Hopson,* a bookish media
relations professional for DiverseWorks by day, will engage the audience in a
20-minute rock opera -- karaoke-style. Taking music from David Bowie's
classic Ziggy Stardust album, Hopson will create a story of a man who cracks
and falls into a fantasy of being a rock star. "But where most people's rock star
fantasies, whether it's singing in the shower or in the car, have them at the top
of the game," says Hopson, "this character goes through the whole thing: rise
and fall, just like in Stardust." Expect a kooky show: "My singing is bad," he says.
(Well, duh, Vinod). "So if I have the whole audience laughing, I've done my job."
Through May 3
Commerce Street Artist Warehouse, 2315 Commerce St. , Houston TX

- from Steven Devadanam at the Houston Press

* My nephew- I witnessed the show and was moved more by his passion and devotion to
the project than the video projecting behind him. An interesting approach to Bowie...
- FredMikeRudy