Arts Presenters, New York - January 2009

What a joy to see two veterans of the Edison stage teaming up in a new production. The East Village Opera Company and David Parsons Dance joined forces and the Joyce Theatre rocked wit the energy of these two dynamic companies.
The way in which the singers move with and within the dancing artists is very reminiscent of and honoring the traditions of deaf theatre - fusing physical and spoken languages - in this rock opera contemporary ballet. But don't think tutus.
In this lively tale, two brothers vie for the love of the enchanting Maria. Though tragic, all is not forlorn, for true love, when real, lasts forever.
While the volume could be tempered on occasions, the evening celebrated the artistry of both companies and resulted in a collaboration even greater than the sum of its parts.

Cedar Lake - contemporary ballet: I've enjoyed watching this company develop. Committed to exploring new works and expanding the expression of contemporary ballet, Cedar Lake certainly takes risks. It really pays off in works such as the final piece in the evening, "Frame of View" choreographed by Didy Veldman, with music by artists as varied as Kronos Quartet, Nina Simone and Dean Martin. Both playful and energetic, the work shifted moods often but maintained focus throughout. The opening piece, "memory/measure," was less successful for me. Billed as a "very abstract dance play, scored for voice and electronics," the piece never seemed to coalesce. My bias against the very abstract is clearly evident here. Throughout the entire evening, one thing is certainly clear: these are extraordinary dancers given new and exciting challenges.

Garth Fagan - In this 20 minute showcase I was able to see the company for the first time in over a decade. Garth continues to work with strong dancers. Since only sections of pieces were seen, it may have contributed to my overall impression; however, the pieces seemed more chordal than melodic, occasional beautiful moments disconnected from one another.

Aszure Barton - This company won me over, without question. Whimsical, sensual and dynamic, even in a 20 minute showcase, it's clear that this is a playful and masterful storyteller. She builds off a primal scream and a core sexuality. With tongue in cheek and a glimmer in the eye, this company plays its audience beautifully.

DCDC - This is a company I need to see more. This showcase, featuring "Children of the Passage" certainly shows the passion and commitment of the performers. That final selection brought out the best from all of the dancers - a signature piece of the company, it is clear that every performer enjoys that that - and the energy shines through. The other pieces lacked the same spirit and possibly suffered in the showcase format.

Conny Janssen - I was disappointed by this showcase. Clearly these are beautiful dancers. Their piece currently touring which has received great acclaim, (Re)Bound, is too complex for a showcase format, so a separate piece was selected to showcase the company. The replacement piece never grabbed me. A collection of shorter snipets of varied works might have been more effective, but the company was limited by only sending three dancers for the conference. Airfare from Europe certainly is a good excuse though and I look forward to seeing this company in a better situation.

November 14, 2008 - PHILADANCO

Philadanco (the Philadelphia Dance Company)
A quick trip to Boston provided the opportunity to reacquaint myself with this powerhouse company. Focusing on the voice and the artistry of African-American and black choreographers, Philadanco presented a diverse evening of works by Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins and Gene Hill Sagan. While the Sagan piece was beautifully danced, it didn't have the impact of the work of the other choreographers. Huggins's work was especially notable. It's amazing his work isn't performed by a wider range of dance companies. His choice of musical material adds greatly to breadth and expression of his artistic voice. "From Dawn to Dusk" featured the music of Bobby McFerrin while "Enemy Behind the Gates" exploded with Steve Reich's music.
"The Philadelphia Experiment" by Rennie Harris added a whole different flavor and expanded the company's overall repertoire. Not all of the dancers demonstrated a full mastery of this distinctly different dance style, but the overall impact was extraordinary.

September 2008 Showcases

Wow, what a ride. I might not touch on all I saw, but here are some highlights - some just good and others excellent.

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - Scottish violinist and cellist
This was the first of many and a great way to start. A light and refreshing sound, it was playful and very danceable, even stuck in our seats, it lifted the spirit. Having studied with Alasdair since the age of 11, Natalie's youth, performance and background add to the overall aesthetic.

Kevin Spirtas - cabaret singer/actor
Kevin is all charm matched with tremendous vocal chops. It's a real talent to be able to flirt with an entire audience at one time. He's a great performer and proud to say he's a St. Louis native.

Shidara - taiko drummers and musicians
The full resonance of this ensemble aligns every vertebra, chakra and internal organ. The strength, power and beauty of this event are amazing and deserve experiencing.

Project - trio: flute, cello and bass
This is my first experience with a beat box flutist. Surprisingly, this distinct sound is a fun addition. His could learn to stand up straight and minimize the gyrations though. The visual gets a bit comical - what happens when you introduce orchestra geeks to Jolt cola. First and foremost, the sound is fantastic.



Too many of these artists are dressing way too casually for a showcase situation. It may be just a 20 minute showcase, but we need to see what they'll look like on our home stages, and the jeans and t-shirts just aren't cutting it. The Lovell Sisters and Project were the worst culprits.



Corbian, Inc. - "Darwin"
Wow!!! What a show. 20 minutes and this act stole the show, a total crowd pleaser. It's like Bill Nye the Science Guy meets the Black Light Theatre of Prague. Ninja-fighting dinosaurs and soaring fish illuminate a touching story.

Circus Incognitus - Jamie Adkins
A beautiful celebration of circus and clowning arts, this shows Adkins as a true master of manipulation. This one took the evening.

Lady Bird, Pat & Betty - "Tea for Three"
This is a remarkable portrayal of three intriguing women. Elaine Bromka transforms quickly from one to the next, calling forth a wide range of historical references and memories.

Robert Post - Post Comedy Theatre
This one was a real surprise. While a real slow starter, his instant costume and character changes gave this mystery a hilarious twist.

Nai Ni Chen Dance
The primary male dancer was most notable, but I was overall more impressed than I've been with this company.
KC Ballet
Two male dancers opened this program. Though nicely danced, the emotionally ambiguous presentation left me wanting. The next piece from "Carmen" had a much clearer emotional intent supporting the strength of the dancers.
ODC
A strong presentation and strong dancers - again though, the fully flat affect can be difficult to pull off and not all the dancers were as successful in achieving the intended impact.

Second Summer San Fran Trip - August 2008

This posting is long overdue. I needed to return to San Fran in the summer to see a few different productions. The first was Sara Juli's "The Money Conversation" at the Napa Valley Opera House - where former Edison director, Evy Warshawski, currently holds court. The show didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped it would. After all, an artist giving away nearly $5,000 in cash every night certainly raises ones's hopes. Sara's a fine performer and I look forward to seeing more of her work. This didn't grab me as much as it could.
Then I got the chance to see Roger Rees in his new one-man show "What You Will." I worked briefly with Roger when I was an intern at the Bristol Old Vic, so I was thrilled to see him live onstage again and even had a chance to pop by backstage after to say hi. The show was marvelous! Few actors can move from chatroom banter to soliloquy with such seamless skill. It's no wonder there are Broadway plans for this show.
Lastly, I rounded off the weekend with a tremendous evening with Kronos Quartet. Sharing the stage with Afghani rubab player Homayoun Sakhi, Kronos performed a piece with and written by Sakhi. This was part of Yerba Buena's Music Without Borders series. It was a total delight. We don't see enough of Kronos in St. Louis or the Midwest.

San Francisco Wonderboy - 6/14/08

No, I'm not self-aggrandizing, I'm referring to the premiere of Joe Goode Performance Group's latest work, "Wonderboy." My San Francisco-based sister and I had the pleasure of attending a performance at the Yerba Buena Center - a GORGEOUS facility. "Wonderboy" was the largest part of an evening which included excerpts from "Maverick Strain" originally produced in 1996. Admittedly, I was less impressed by "Maverick," the evening's opener. It never managed to captivate me in the way Joe's work generally does, but it was a relatively short piece. Then "Wonderboy" started and within three minutes my sister sitting next to me was already moved to tears. All of the components worked together beautifully. The dancers and the choreography alone were engaging on their own. Add an evocative musical soundscape by Tin Hat Trio's, Carla Kihlstedt and her handsome new husband and collaborator Mattias Bossi and then there's the puppet. Basil Twist and Goode have adapted Japanese Bunraku-style puppetry in a way that have the dancers actively manipulating Wonderboy and engaging directly with the puppet. This is the puppetry technique primarily used in the Dan Hurlin "Hiroshima Maiden" seen a couple years ago at the Edison.
Like most of his work, Joe Goode pulls no punches. He pulls from his own life experience, explores acceptance, diversity, gay bashing. At times the adult language pushes the limits, clearly with the intention of evoking a visceral response from the audience - reminding me of verbal gay bashing segment of the CoisCeim performance presented earlier this year at the Edison. I'm excited to share this performance with St. Louis and look forward to seeing it again in February.
Just so you don't think it's all work for me when I'm traveling. I am able to sneak in some fun here and there. The picture below is a gathering in San Francisco's Union Square on Saturday observing World Wide Knit in Public Day - no kidding. That's me in the lower left corner and my sister, Kat, is the tall, attractive woman directly over my shoulder. She was demonstrating how to "turn a heel," necessary for knitting socks. I only started knitting in October and still learning some upper level techniques. This was a fun group of ladies and a gorgeous day.

February 27, 2008: Leahy - Copious Skills

Rosebud Theater, Effingham, Illinois
I don't know if there are any vacancies, but if you can't be born into it, this is the kind of family you would want to marry into. 7 of the 11 siblings of the Canadian musical ensemble Leahy performed at the recently opened Rosebud Theatre. Believe me folks, it's worth the trip to the intersection of Highways 70 and 57. This new space has all the bells and whistles and if the entertainment is as good as it was last night, you will enjoy yourself immensely.
Kudos to the parents who raise such an array of multi-talented children - and each one more attractive than the next. Their performance was energetic if occasionally a little more layed back than expected - but that was more an issue in the first half. Performing music with a wide range of cultural influences, the ensemble was always entertaining but never more so than when they soared with one of the Celtic-influenced fiddle based tunes, especially when all three of the fiddling brothers joined in. Don't take anything away from the sisters though. Shifting through a series of instruments each, they also kicked up their heels in impressive style with the French-Canadian step dance. For the finale, "Call to Dance," the entire family joined in across the front of the stage in a unison step performance - including brother Frank who expertly anchored most of the evening behind the drums. Not to take anything away from any other family member, but my focus kept returning to Erin. It's not surprising to hear she is also ambidextrous, she shifts easily during the show between the keyboards/piano and other instruments, as well as vocal lead in a variety of songs and dancing. I look forward to finding time to bring this marvelous family to the Edison.

December 7, 2007 - Memphis, Tennessee

A quick overnight trip was in order to see one of the finest vocal ensembles ever presented at the Edison Theatre. First presented in St. Louis at the Edison Theatre back in 1993, they returned in 1997 as a co-presentation by Edison, COCA and the Symphony at Powell Hall. It seemed that after a 10 year absence, it's time to look at bringing them back. The concert totally made up for the 5 1/2 hour drive mostly in a rainstorm. Mind you, the thirty minute delay in getting the show started at the Cannon Center (for no expressed reason) and the 30+ minute intermission made it a VERY late evening to enjoy their marvelous sounds. Sweet Honey was after the intermission, second on the bill following a Three Tenor immitation called Cook, Dixon & Young. I had to be committed to stay that late and that long. The three guys had clearly well trained voices, but their schtick was layed out REALLY thick. The theatre didn't hand out programs and the guys sang songs from a broad range of styles (some definitely more successfully than others). Unfortunately, they chose to start the program with three arias sung in other languages. Without context or even titles to reference, I think the choice left everyone clueless and smiling pleasantly but uninformed. Their counter-tenor is the real star of that trio.

Then came the ladies. WOO HOO!! As vibrant and stunning as ever, their gorgeous sound builds off the contralto of Ysaye Barnwell. What a powerhouse. Her rich resonance will rumble the rafters as effectively as KODO Drummers did. Joining the five vocal members of the ensemble is Shirley Childress Johnson - the sign language interpreter who is fully incorporated into every aspect of the production - right down to her own solo scat rift. I so look forward to finding the time and place for these lovely ladies back on the Edison stage. It is time-well overdue.