FRIDA: The Musical Life of the Wife of Muralist Diego Rivera

Frida at lunch

Frida Kahlo is probably one of the most misunderstood women artists even today  She was always in the shadow of her famous husband, Diego Rivera, whose mural decorates the Detroit Institute of Arts. Often she was referred to as Diego's wife. What artist wants to be known as "just his wife?" She didn't like it one iota. 

They had a troublesome marriage, argued frequently and each had numerous affairs. Still, she admired Diego's artistic style and he encouraged her painting and only gave advice when asked. They divorced and remarried. Neither of the unions were pleasant in their love-hate relationship. They were a source of inspiration and heartache to each other.

Famous or not, I would not want to be a guest in their house. 

First for the raucous arguments. 
Second, either of them would often have liaisons with their guests. For example, Leon Trotsky and his wife traveled from Norway to Mexico in order to take up a short residence in their home. Well, guess what, everyone got to know each other a little too well. 

Still, Frida was definitely all woman. For instance, she changed her birth date to correspond to the year of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. So she went up three years, while most of us try to dial down the age. 

Both of the Rivera's had large personalities in their own right.  Of course, Diego was the charmer, larger and louder of the two. He had no qualms about calling everything he did art including a sketch on newspaper with a mustard stain, which he made in Detroit. Who can resist a Detroit Coney Dog? Not even he. 

Frida's father was German and her mother was Amerincan Indian and Spanish. One of the most prominent features that Frida showed us in her paintings was her famous joined eyebrows, known as the uni-brow and her rather dark mustache, which she proudly showed. She was Indian more than anything else and set her own style.

Mexico of course, revers her like any country would it's own artist mainlly because she shows the indigenous culture with bold, bright colors. You can read the biography of this fabulously gifted lady because it never ceases to amaze.  However, her life has been turned into a musical opera as a rousing production of  Frida Kahlo. Rightly so. 

It starts off at age 18 when Frida was badly injured in a traffic accident, which necessitated many medical procedures. Her recovery in isolation, as well as a lifetime in physical pain, profoundly influenced her paintings -- some of the most compelling of the 20th century

The musical celebrates Kahlo's vivacious spirit, talent, and fragility, with splashes of music as colorful as her artwork.  

I borrowed from Frida in taking things to the limit with my trip to the show during early spring in March.  At lunch, an actress takes it a step further so you'll swoon with our loon! Prior to the performance, lunch is planned at Los Galanes where tour attendees will be treated to another "show" about Frida... one that is feisty & hilarious when "Frida" will engage crowds in her life as an artist.  She will "explain" a couple of her art works in a very brazen but comical manner  -- what made them good and bad all while applying "Love That Red" lipstick.  She''ll reveal her lurid & deepest secrets. Her affairs of the heart. Dishing the dirt on Diego. Even her food choices. No plate is safe.

In her 40s when she died, this is probably the ideal way to learn more about Frida Rivera. After this you may want to dive headlong into her journals which makes 40 Shades of Grey look like Pollyanna.