Artist Showcases
Les Parfaits Inconnus - The Perfects Unknown. From Quebec, this imaginative and fun gymnastic quartet share a sampling of their antics - cycling and balancing acts mostly. Apparently the bulk of their equipment was on its way to NY or DC for a performance over the weekend. Good potential, but without the greater variety, in this case there ended up being no there there.
Dance Alloy Theatre
Signature works of a long list of top notch choreographers are performed by this veteran company. Young dancers with good skills perform a quality showcase if not especially exciting or new.
River North Chicago Dance
One of the clearest things in this showcase is that the company has a host of new YOUNG male dancers. This is one of my favorite dance companies with an Artistic Director I respect and call a friend. This was not one of their best presentations. The first piece was clearly under-rehearsed with the new dancers. The "Cuban piece" redeemed the evening and showed the company at its best.
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble
Not extraordinary, but a good basic collection of dance and dancers. Many developing company mistakes - hair is part of the costume and extreme personal styles permitted in otherwise simple pieces are just plain distracting.
Chic Gamine
Five-part female a cappella from our neighbors to the north - and I don't mean Iowa. With years in a cappella, I'm really biased. This group's sound ROCKS. They need to work out the visuals - the young look is fine and attractive on these gorgeous young women, but for a concert setting, dress it up a bit.
Theatre of Fools - "Wacky Chicken Show"
I have a thing for the New Vaudevillians (and puppetry, by the way). Most effective during the audience participation, this quirky ensemble seems best suited for a YOUNG audience. Since the Edison rarely goes that young, it's not an obvious fit, but I look forward to seeing what else this company does.
"Sticks & Stones" - Pint Size Productions
Totally message driven, this rapping piece for young audiences confronts bullying and the "anti-ratting" message imposed by peers. There's no subtlety here and a bit overdone - but a talented young solo artist.
Catskills Puppet Theater - "Hiawatha"
Okay, my earlier puppetry comment does not encompass the full range of offerings. This is another example of work intended for very young audiences -too young for the standard ovations! for young people offering.
Ball in the House
An a cappella quintet, these are powerhouse performers with tremendous vocal chops - special notice of their exceptional vocal percussionist. Without amplification the bass is completely lost in the mix. The white-boy-overbite is a little too omnipresent and is usually accompanied by the closed-eyed introspection. Look up guys and connect with your audience, even in a background vocal position. Other than that, great sound and worth further notice.
Harmonious Wail
A long-time favorite of mine, this group never fails to please. With an apparent love for gypsy swing, HW grooves with a bass player, guitarists and vocalists. Most engaging is the imaginative inclusion of non-traditional percussive instruments such as scissors and cardboard boxes. Sooner or later this is a must see on the Edison stage in some form or another.
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