Tickets are $10 at the door and include film, lecture and popcorn.
Cash bar will be available for drinks.
15 minute intermission
GARY, IN – She may have told us she was “no good,” but audiences can judge for themselves when “Amy,” the Oscar-winning documentary about British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse, screens Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts in the Miller Beach section of Gary.
Sponsored by the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, the 2015 Academy Award winner will be introduced by Larry Lapidus, Lyric Opera of Chicago lecturer and program director, who will also discuss the film.
“I think we should not forget about her tremendous talent,” Lapidus said. “Rock and pop singers come and go. Amy’s voice will hopefully be remembered forever. Unfortunately, we will also probably recall her journey into the depths of alcohol and drugs, too.”
The first British female to win five Grammy awards, including Best New Artist, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year, for her second album “Back to Black,” Winehouse not only wrote a hit single about not wanting to go to “Rehab,” she made that a life philosophy. Her battles with drugs and alcohol became at least as well-known as her music.
“The lyrics of her songs directly mirrored her emotional state at that moment,” Lapidus explained. “This is quite unique because so many singers bang out the lyrics other composers wrote. This combination of music, lyrics, and style makes her work that much more truthful.”
After almost universal acclaim, multiple awards, and international popularity, Winehouse’s personal life began to encroach on her professional life; she started showing up for performances tired, distracted, and “tipsy;” slurring her words, and forgetting lyrics. In July of 2011, the singer died of alcohol poisoning. She was 27.
“In life and in the press, sensationalism has taken too important a role,” Lapidus said. “Every little detail is well-known. As a result, the more sordid the information, the more money is made. This is a sad state of affairs.”
He added that the documentary has a great sense of immediacy. “This film won the Oscar for many reasons,” he explained. “A great singer is portrayed in quite a relevant fashion. It was directed with precision and accuracy. Visually, you feel in the moment while viewing it.”
Acclaimed as “a tragic masterpiece,” “brilliant,” “heartbreaking,” and “unmissable,” “Amy” also won a Grammy and an MTV Movie Award. “There will always be folks who are curious about fame and fortune,” Lapidus said. “This film depicts great singing, unique style, and an accurate depiction of its subject.”
“Amy” will screen Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts, 540 S. Lake St., Gary, IN. A $10 donation includes admission to the screening, popcorn, and the introduction by Larry Lapidus. Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available at an additional cost.
“Amy Winehouse” is part of our Screenings series.
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