Standard Times Arts Coverage: “A celebrity visited a DATMA exhibit in New Bedford on Saturday. This is who it was.”
Seth ChitwoodNEW BEDFORD — “Spy Kids” and “The Good Wife” Tony-winning actor Alan Cumming stepped through DATMA’s “Threshold” piece in Custom House Square with his dog Lala.
While visiting the downtown area before performing in his “Och & Oy” cabaret, opposite Ari Shapiro at the Zeiterion, Cumming took to Instagram to record a video of himself visiting the 17-foot-high doorway.
“It’s Saturday night on Broadway. Pow!” he sang in front of the doors.
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“I feel like Threshold has officially been blessed,” said Lindsay Mis, executive director of the Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA).
Cumming is best known for film roles such as “GoldenEye,” “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” “Spice World,” “Burlesque,” “X-Men,” “Annie” and for his three time Emmy-nominated role for CBS’ “The Good Wife.” He also won a Tony-Award for his performance in the revival of “Cabaret” as the Emcee.
“We made the door for you Alan,” the “Threshold” sculptor Mark Reigelman joked in a comment on the post that has garnered over 4,000 likes since Saturday, including several positive posts applauding Cumming for his stellar performance at The Z.
“Threshold” is inspired by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) who inhabited the city in the late 17th century as well as the aesthetic of New England’s archetypal Colonial doorways, according to sculptor Mark Reigelman.
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“I was so drawn to exploring the history of the city. I wanted to find a concept that accurately symbolized its openness to those seeking refuge, freedom or work,” Reigelman said in a previous interview.
“This symbol is conceptually unique and strong, and it allowed me to explore architecture, scale and the past and future of New Bedford in an impactful and creative manner,” he said.
Reigleman hopes the piece encourages viewers to think about the past and future when crossing the threshold, and even for those who don’t, it’s meant to be a pleasant and positive experience nonetheless.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.