Written by Shaina Vega
I thought the "Hot Club of San Francisco" and the Gypsy Jazz Music inspired by Django Reinhardt was creative and interesting. I hadn't seen a silent film before, so I felt like it was a great experience for me to have taken the time to see this awesome performance.
The staff was kind; they showed us to our seats and were not rude at all; they were on point with what they had to do. The location of the theatre was a good distance -- I haven't really traveled to Fairfield often, so it was nice to visit there, even for a little while – but, the theatre was a little cold. I was surprised that Fairfield University gave us free tickets because not a lot of schools or universities offer free tickets to live shows.
I appreciated being in the audience because it wasn't one of those audiences where everyone is quiet, and no one’s really enjoying themselves; people weren't booing, they were having a perfect time, they laughed at the performer’s jokes and clapped at the appropriate time – there weren't any random claps or people talking or yelling at the performers; it was cool, calm, and exciting. The lighting was nice and dim; it wasn't so dark where we couldn't see where we were being seated and it wasn't so dark that we couldn't see the films on the screen or the musicians on stage. Everything was put together so well; the music was creative, the performers were kind and very talented -- they really knew what they were doing and I loved every minute of it.
Now since the films were made back in 1912, 1926,1928 and 1930, the acting was good but way too dramatic, especially in The Fall of the House of Usher. That film was weird, creepy, and just really confusing; but, like I said, this was done in the silent film era, so it I just tolerated the style. The rest of the films were funny, sad, and odd in their own ways; the make-up looked strange, but overall, they were very good films and I respected every last one of them.
The sound of the music was not too loud but not too low; the musicians were on point to every note and every key of what they were playing and it drew me into the films even more because the music told the story of what was going on in the films; it made it more exciting. The musicians played so skillfully, as if music was their love, their passion. The music itself was just a magnificent part of the show, and really fascinating; I valued the musicians’ performances, sense of humor, and costumes (not too flashy but not too plain, as if they didn't want to be there). The set was not cluttered; it was simple, but nicely arranged. I just enjoyed the whole afternoon, even our 15-minute break while we anxiously waited for their next performance. I would definitely recommend this wonderful production.