David Byrne And Spike Lee Conjure Up A Joyous Vision Of 'American Utopia'

Back when the Nazis were running roughshod over his homeland, Bertolt Brecht wrote a short poem that asked, "In the dark times, will there still be singing?" And it gave a reply: "Yes, there will be singing. About the dark times."

Of course, there are many ways of singing about darkness. One is to celebrate hope. That's what's on offer in HBO's David Byrne's American Utopia, a joyous blend of song, dance and revival meeting. The film, which captures a live performance of Byrne's acclaimed Broadway show, was directed by Spike Lee.

Now, Spike might not be the first person you'd expect to click with Byrne, a guy I don't exactly picture yelling courtside at a Knicks game. Yet Lee is terrific at filming live performances, and his swooping, shrewdly observant camera meshes perfectly with Byrne's layered and rousing sense of musical theater. This is one show you can dance to.