I’ve developed a healthy obsession with Broadway vlogs. (I say “healthy” because I think obsessions are the sine qua non of a motivated life. But I digress.)
In any event, one of the last musicals I saw was Chaplin – a simultaneously playful and heartbreaking homage to the “Little Tramp,” whose innovations in early American film are the heartbeat of modern-day cinema. As I surfed YouTube for videos of performances and backstage interviews, I chanced upon a series of vlogs titled “Hedda’s Headlines” – video blogs that invite viewers backstage at Chaplin and afford them a peak at the rehearsal and preparation processes, pre-show rituals, company trips, and interactions among the cast members when they’re not in costume. In Episode 6 of “Hedda’s Headlines,” cast member Jenn Colella invites viewers on a trip to Philadelphia, where the Broadway cast of Chaplin is slated to perform at the Forest Theater for an exclusive showcase. After taking us through the bus ride and brush-up rehearsal, Colella passes the baton to actor Rob McClure (a native of Philadelphia), who takes us on a tour of his hometown. His first stop caught my eye.
McClure takes us into Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens—a playground of breathtaking, mosaic art, which, according to the garden’s website, “includes a fully tiled indoor space and a massive outdoor mosaic sculpture garden that spans half a block on Philadelphia’s famous South Street.” The website vaunts the garden as a conglomeration of countless murals, composed of broken shards of glass, vibrant glass bottles, bicycle wheels, hand-made tiles, and “thousands of glittering mirrors.” For more information on its inception, you can visit phillymagicgardens.
It’s beguiling. Though I’ve never seen this garden in person, the vlog left me yearning for a chance to sample its beauty. What I noticed about the garden, however, is that it’s mostly composed of objects that are broken. And I was reminded of why I love art so much.
What’s remarkable about art is its ability to transform. An artist can transform a heaping pile of obsolete items, broken and hazardous shards of glass, and other pieces of material, which, individually, we’d repel from our vision, and turn it into a maze of majestic colors that brightens the community so much more. On a broader scale, the garden symbolizes the ability to make light of the ugliest situations. Through art, we find comfort in anxiety, happiness through the dark patches of hardship, and laughter amidst our crying. It’s a reminder of the ever-hackneyed aphorism: “Life is what you make of it.” Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is a surreal piece of art that encouraged me to weld the shattered bits of bad experiences in my life into something practical and beautiful. This week, I challenge you to do the same.
-Alex Hajjar
The Junction Journal 