EMAV Review: NBT sinks its teeth into menacing and moody 'Dracula'

★★★★½ - Delicious

In the spirit of Halloween, Nevada Ballet Theatre gave a haunting presentation of Ben Stevenson's 1997 neoclassical ballet "Dracula" last weekend at the Smith Center. Full of sensational visual effects and otherworldly dancing, the show was led by artistic director Roy Kaiser in his first full season with NBT, and rehearsed by répétiteur Dominic Walsh, who worked extensively with Stevenson. On Friday night the second cast was haunted by a few mishaps, perhaps due to nerves. But the house was full and the audience appreciative, and seemed just as beguiled by the sinister Count Dracula as his minions who populated the stage.

Choreographer Stevenson kept the setting in Transylvania for his scenario, and altered the narrative of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel--discarding some characters and creating new ones with their own storyline--to better fit the structure of a story ballet in the vein of romantic classics of the Victorian era. For the musical score Stevenson and music arranger John Lanchbery chose pieces by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, who was also contemporary to the time and whose piano-driven style fit their aesthetic.

The stylized choreography and design--scenery by Thomas Boyd, costumes by Judanna Lynn, and lighting by Christina R. Giannelli (after Tim Hunter, executedby Peter Jakubowski))--also seem influenced by German Expressionism, particularly in the first and third acts in Dracula's dark and foggy castle. The silent film "Nosferatu" (and its underlying campiness) seems an inspiration for some of Stevenson's movements for Dracula's 18 undead Brides, who are a surreal corps de ballet as they move with arms outstretched and hands and fingers bent into claws. Their wraithlike movement also reminds of the Wilis from the ballet "Giselle."

Dracula, danced by Benjamin Tucker with a sensuous and sardonic vibe, pulsates his hand like a magnet so the Brides follow his command. They look like eerie apparitions with their white hair, skin, and tattered, diaphanous gowns, which the dancers flick as they move so the fabric looks like traces of ectoplasm hanging in the air. They glide about in serpentine formations and fall like dominoes in a circle, and there's a neat pas de six with quick, sequential movements. And Tucker with Brides Brooke Lyness and Rachel Thomson perform a fascinating pas de trois of symbolically sexual lifts and promenades.

This Dracula is a lusty fellow, and he quenches his thirst by feeding on beautiful young maidens. His crazed, bug-gobbling assistant Renfield, danced with acrobatic, manic energy by Robert Mulvey, kidnaps Flora from the peasant village nearby, and delivers her in a ghostly carriage drawn by skeleton horses. Christina Ghiardi as Flora has an effortless quality of movement with delicate phrasing, and transforms believably from innocent maiden to snarling ghoul. Dracula ravishes her during their pas de deux, and while she and Tucker had problems with a few lifts they delivered on many others, like when he carries her like a rag doll on his hip as she tries in vain to run away. He glides Flora and all his victims around because they are powerless to resist.

Horror and hopelessness segues to lightness and joy during the second act in the picturesque peasant village, when townsfolk gather to celebrate the courtship of coquette Svetlana, danced by Betsy Lucas, and young Frederick, danced by Michael Caye. In contrast to the monochrome tone of Dracula's castle, the town and its people are colorful and full of life. The corps perform an energetic folk dance with a ribbon/maypole dance for the girls and a pole dance for the boys, along with a charming character dance performed by Enrico DeMarco as the Innkeeper and Krista Baker as his Wife. And there's an excellent miming sequence by Monika Rostomian as the Old Woman, recounting stories about her life.

Lucas and Caye compliment each other both physically and personality-wise, though here too there were problems with lifts. But they both craft vibrant characterizations and pull off difficult dancing in their variations that sometimes have awkward movements. Lucas is luminous as she delivers turns both en pointe and with flat foot and gives some deft demi-ballonés, and Caye tosses of beautiful leaps and tours a la seconde. Then Dracula shows up to ruin it all.

He abducts Svetlana but before he transforms her into a bride with his bite, Frederick and the villagers arrive at the castle to thwart his evil ambitions. It's a scene of madness and mayhem, but good triumphs over evil and Dracula perishes in the most explosive way. The flying effects (by Flying by Foy) are so good it's impossible to tell that Dracula has a stunt double, played by Robert Fulton. And Dracula's gorgeous, heavy velvet cape, which looks like a bat with a huge wingspan, must be daunting to dance in.

NBT's lush presentation of "Dracula" is a phantasmagorical treat.

Photos by Alicia Lee Photography

#Bennett #NBT #SmithCenter #Review #Dance #Music

EMAV Review: A witch hunt transcends time in NCT's stark, futuristic 'Crucible'

★★★½☆ - Satisfying

Nevada Conservatory Theatre's ambitious presentation of "The Crucible" is a powder keg of raw emotion, with powerful performances and a post-apocalyptic setting that gives an abstract interpretation of Arthur Miller's timeless 1953 play. Based on the historical 1692 witch hunt, trials, and executions of those falsely accused in the Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts, Miller wrote the piece as an allegory for McCarthyism. His insights into the all-too-human penchant for mass hysteria, brought on by projection and irrational fear, speaks volumes to the different world views that divide us as a nation today. It's a show about the battle of dualities--religion vs. secularism, conformity vs. freedom, falsehood vs. truth, and emotion vs. reason--which will never go out of style.

Directed by Darren Weller and presented in the Black Box Theatre, Salem is envisioned as a dystopian community set sometime in the future, possibly after a catastrophic event that led to a theocratic regime which stripped individual freedoms in exchange for safety. They live in a devastated urban center rather than the rural farming village of the text, so perhaps they sow crops and graze cattle in open areas around the city.

Joe Garcia Miranda's scenic design resembles an abandoned office complex of hard concrete and gnarled metal which is both expansive and claustrophobic, with a central skylight through which hazy beams of light stream as if God were keeping a close watch on the proceedings. Nothing is soft here except the rumpled costumes of Gabrielle Lewis--which look earthy and vaguely biblical for the secular, farmer characters and cold and tailored for those of strict faith--and the people who populate the stage, who are often put on the spot by the confrontational lighting of Kirt Matthew Siders with its geometric shapes, and the jarring sound design of Rosalie Chaleunsouck.

The alley-style configuration of the playing space--with audience on two sides--is challenging to stage and limits visibility of the performers who are often hushed in delivery or get caught up in emotion and forget to enunciate. Plus Weller's blocking is often stagnant and lacks energy, especially during the first half when numerous actors are onstage and the exposition is lengthy. It's difficult to invest in characters when we can't see their faces, but in certain scenes Weller seems to conserve movement so that tension builds to moments of explosive physical interaction, as choreographed by fight director Robin McFarquhar.

Nate Marble is a revelation as the flawed hero John Proctor. He has the strapping physicality of a tireless farmer and gives great depth to the sensible man with a conscience who must face the repercussions of his affair with Abigail Williams, played by Aviana Glover. They share a steamy scene of repulsion and attraction, and it's easy to see why Abby is so infatuated with him that she's willing to destroy the lives of innocent people. With her fiery portrait of heartless manipulation and adolescent fury at being sexually scorned, Glover is a force to be reckoned with.

Tola Lawal crafts a layered portrait of John's long-suffering wife Elizabeth, whom Abby accuses of witchcraft in hopes of taking her place. Lawal's quiet strength is a nice complement to Marble's mercurial side as they struggle to ford the chasm in their relationship, and one poignant scene features a holy trinity of sorts with investigator Reverend John Hale, portrayed by the sublime Bobby Lang. Intellectual and empathetic, Lang is a marvel to watch as he gradually transforms while grappling with doubt about the witchcraft claims and at the horrific persecution of innocent people. And Juliana Renee Martin imbues Mary Warren with emotional turmoil through both body and soul, while Delius Doherty gives measured flashes of humanity to the draconian magistrate Governor Danforth.

Performers in secondary roles are overshadowed and need to commit more fully to their portrayals. Johann Heske as Reverend Parris finds his footing as he grows to comprehend the weight of his actions, and Spencer Bisek as Thomas Putnam and Nicole Holbrook as his wife Ann give an air of righteous indignation but could use more venom behind their convictions. Weller has also made some distracting, gender-blind casting choices and it's unclear how we are meant to interpret them. Since shamans were often transgender in ancient societies, Noah Keeling as Tituba isn't too much of a stretch; Gail K. Romero brings humor as Giles Corey and Sherri Brewer gives a sweet Frances Nurse whether male or female or not; and Joan Mullaney's matriarchal Rebecca Nurse looks much too coiffed after months of imprisonment.

The tumultuous scene outside the courtroom is shocking as it builds momentum to the outburst of the repressed yet sexually charged girls who, in the throes of demonic possession, move about the stage in perfect unison like a murmuration of starlings. The stylized choreography of the girls' movement and vocalizations, including in the moody/pagan song of the sirens prologue, highlights the show.

"The Crucible" has many themes relevant to our times, but in essence NCT best captures the story of a good man grappling with the tragic consequences of his indiscretion.

#NCT #Theatre #Review #Bennett

EMAV Review: Knickers get knotted during LVLT's bawdy 'Underpants'

★★★☆☆ - Satisfying

The play "The Underpants," now showing on Las Vegas Little Theatre's main stage, is like an Henrik Ibsen drama and a bedroom farce all rolled into one. Adapted in 2002 by Steve Martin from Carl Sternheim's 1911 play "Die Hose," which is a satire of the bourgeoisie, it covers a lot of ground thematically but without really going anywhere. And while it's full of double entendres, witty banter, and thoughtful musing, the plot revolves around female subjugation and sexual objectification, which in LVLT's presentation evokes both laughter and dismay.

The setting is Dusseldorf Germany in 1910, a time when married women were considered the property of their husbands. As the show opens, a shocking incident has just occurred. Young housewife Louise's bloomers fell down as she stood tippy-toe trying to see the King in his parade, and her uptight husband Theo fears his reputation will be ruined by those who witnessed the event. But the two randy gentlemen who did happen to see it--the poet Versati and the barber Cohen--have something entirely different in mind. Titillated, they arrive separately at the couple's doorstep in order to rent a spare room in their flat, hoping to seduce Louise and get into her pants. And busybody neighbor Gertrude is more than happy to help.

Since the actors' experience levels are varied, director Chris Davies keeps the performances on the understated side so there's not excessive mugging. But the physical bits could use more choreography and the difficult relationship between Theo, played by James Raven Malpino, and Louise, played by Mary Claire Owen, needs to be fleshed out. While on the page Theo views their marriage as a business arrangement, it would be nice to have some connection between the two no matter how slight, so we can believe he has her best interests at heart.

As Louise, Owen resembles a delicate, porcelain doll with her pretty floral dress and cheerful nature. Her movements and mannerisms don't always fit the era, but there's a nice moment when she's alone onstage and strips down to her corset in anticipation of a romantic interlude with Versati. She strikes a series of awkward, sensuous poses she hopes might impress him, and creates a neat effect that is like a vignette from a silent movie. Her charming innocence stirs our protective instincts.

Which makes it harder to accept Theo's incessant harping about her place in their marriage and of her wifely duties. While the pragmatic fellow is written to be rigid and Malpino embodies that aspect without a doubt, he plays the part with such focused seriousness that it's hard to relate to him. A touch of tongue- in-cheek bombastry might soften the stinging words of the humorless guy.

Yet one of the best scenes of the show features Malpino as Theo and Glenn Heath as the wannabe-poet extraordinaire Versati debating the merits of their different philosophies of life. Is it better to conform dutifully to the state through endless hard work, or to live freely as an artist with a passion for beauty? There's a stark contrast between the two and the answer might lie somewhere in the middle, but the delightful Heath relishes each line with such bravado that he easily convinces us a bohemian life is the way to go.

Ernest Medina is endearing as the neurotic hypochondriac Cohen. He and Owen share a chemistry in their scenes together and his funny, deadpan stories get some of the biggest laughs of the night. The sassy Shana Brouwers shows the wheels turning in the mind of the scheming Gertrude with her funny expressions and wildly tapping fingers, while Rob Kastil provides subtle buffoonery as the frigid Klinglehoff and Dan Worthington is appropriately regal in a cameo as the King.

The set design by Ron Lindblom captures the period with detailed pieces and with warm, earthy colors, as does the light design of Ginny Adams; the sound design by Davies and Heath creates a rich atmosphere through the music of Richard Wagner; and Rose Scarborough's costumes are lovely, especially the women's dresses and Louise's yellow one in particular, with its whimsical Bavarian touches of pom pom fringe and zig zag trim.

LVLT's bawdy presentation of "The Underpants" is entertaining and amusing, but its inherent sexism might get your knickers in a twist.

+

#Theatre #Review #LVLT #Bennett

EMAV Review: NBT's 'Ballet & Broadway' a fine sampler of what's to come ★★★★★

★★★★★ - Irresistible

Nevada Ballet Theatre presented their 46th season-ender "Ballet & Broadway" at the Smith Center recently, and it was a great way to showcase the company's sophisticated aesthetic and also give a glimpse of programming going forward under the guidance of new artistic director Roy Kaiser. He envisions more outreach, more programs, more performances, and more growth and diversity in the company's repertoire, including new original works that encourage dancers to further develop breadth and depth in their artistry.

The four ballets on the bill complimented each other nicely, though the program as whole flew by quickly. But their pre-show discussion "Insights" featured Kaiser and choreographer Matthew Neenan in an engaging conversation about the company and the artistic process, the performances were passionate and the technical aspects top-notch, and the fifty-piece orchestra (members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic) conducted by Leif Bjaland was pristine.

Christopher Wheeldon's dreamy 2002 ballet "Carousel (A Dance)" is like cotton candy at the county fair. It's delicate and sweet and melts away quickly leaving a hint of flavor on the tastebuds. Inspired by Richard Rodgers' and Oscar Hammerstein's 1945 musical "Carousel" with a nod to the original choreography of Agnes De Mille, the story revolves around the romance between a carnival barker (Steven Goforth) and a pretty ingénue (Alissa Dale). Their pas de deux was shy at first as she ran and he chased in a game of reluctant flirtation. But their awareness grew and they became more impassioned, with Goforth giving a subtly assertive, bad-boy air and Dale embodying the essence of simplicity.

Betsy Lucas, Kenneth Shelby, Emma McGirr, and Enrico DeMarco made charming demi-caractére pairs, while the ensemble evoked the town folk with canons of successive, repeating movement on down each line. Dancers leaped and seemed suspended in air, and they moved together in a circular pattern that culminated with girls perched artfully on boys' shoulders, holding long poles so they resembled carousel creatures as they moved up and down. The nostalgic music, hanging string lights, vintage-look costumes, and inventive movement painted a dynamic and dramatic stage picture indeed.

George Balanchine's 1964 ballet "Tarantella" is set to the music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk. The dance probably originated in ancient times as an antidote to the bite of a venomous spider, but Balanchine's version is a folksy courtship duet that highlights the virtuoso abilities of its two dancers. The quick, clipped, and intricate movement also requires strength and stamina, and artists Mirella Costa Neto and Jun Tanabe had the technical finesse and cheerful demeanor to pull it off. The exuberant Neto was a joy to watch with her leggy pas de chats, crisp fouettés, and deep pliés á la seconde, while Tanabe was nearly flawless with impressive ballon on his high leaps and beats. He wasn't as vigorous as Neto in his portrayal, and both could have used more flair with the tambourine, but they made a dazzling pair.

Guest choreographer Matthew Neenan composed his new contemporary ballet "Until December" on company artists Dale, Jaime DeRocker, Christina Ghiardi, Brooke Lyness, McGirr, Sergio Alvarez, Goforth, David Hochberg, and Benjamin Tucker. Set to "December," Las Vegas-based Michael Torke's forceful yet melancholy 1995 composition for strings, the work had an exquisite world premiere during the show.

The abstract piece featured the girls en pointe and ever-changing combinations and groupings of dancers in turns, lifts, and jumps that often corresponded to punches in the music. Classical movement often juxtaposed or morphed into modern forms, like a jazzy walk done with bent knees and swinging arms that ended with the flick of a hand and a caress of the face. Pairs often mirrored each other's movements, and there was a plaintive quality overall with a lot of physical contact between performers suggesting a longing to connect. They were like synchronicity, or like pieces of a puzzle trying to fit together.

George Balanchine's noir jazz ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" was set to the music of Richard Rodgers originally for the 1936 film "On Your Toes." The piece takes place in a speakeasy and features the tragicomic saga of a Striptease Girl (Ghiardi) courted by a Hoofer (Tucker) who makes the Big Boss (Goforth) angry enough to kill. Dancer extraordinaire Morrosine (Joshua Kekoa) also wants Tucker dead and in a humorous bit hires Gangster (John Katsilometes) to do the deed.

The ensemble filled out the piece as dancehall girls or keystone cops, and all were full of energy and enthusiasm. But the vivacious Ghiardi stole the show as she danced with abandon and flexible extensions and jazzy kicks. She and Tucker made a sensuous pair with their simmering split lifts and amazing can can kick dip, while Tucker put on his acting chops for the comical, never-ending tap dancing bit.

Kudos to the technical crew including lighting by Peter Jakubowski, costumes by Christopher Larson, staging by Tara Foy, and many more.

#NBT #Dance #Review #Bennett

CWDT's free 'Spring Concert' a priceless experience ★★★★☆

★★★★☆ - Delicious

The name may have changed but the sublime artistry remains the same. Contemporary West Dance Theatre (previously known as Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater) presented their Spring Concert Series at West Las Vegas Library recently, giving free performances co-sponsored by The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. Well worth the complimentary price of admission, the company premiered three original pieces choreographed by founding artistic director Bernard H. Gaddis.

Gaddis is a masterful storyteller with an eye for dramatic detail, astute choice of music, and ability to blend diverse forms of dance on dancers well-versed in the language of movement. His evocative compositions transported us through time and space to places limited only by our own imaginations.

The first offering was the luxuriant ballet "Lakmé," which shares its name with the 1883 opera by Léo Delibe, set in British India about an Indian girl who falls for a British officer with tragic results. Delibe's exquisite song "Flower Duet" set the tone for this organic and atmospheric work, with exuberant dancers wearing velvety, emerald green dresses as they moved against a green backdrop in a layering of hues to suggest nature.

Sweeping port de bras with pivot arabesques and graceful pirouettes blended seamlessly into Lester Horton style movements of deep pliés, angular limbs, and flexed feet in a way that subtly evoked traditional Indian dance. There was a gorgeous intensity to the partnering of Maria Vicuna McGovern and Matthew Palfenier with their pretty penchés and difficult lifts, though on opening night some of those lifts seemed awkward and the ensemble as a whole were often out of sync. But where there are flowers there are bees, and one performer (Adrianna Rosales, perhaps) embodied the bug and danced a charming and humorous solo in an inspired bit set to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee."

Gaddis' emotionally devastating "Fractured Space" swept us to a long-ago time in a far-away place, where something horrible has happened to make people question their faith. In the vein of a Horton choreodrama the piece has a stark, hazy, monochromatic look which reminds of an old silent movie, and is set to the music of Yann Tierson, David M. Frost, and Antonio Vivaldi. The powerful narrative made huge psychological and physical demands on featured dancers Rosales, Rachel Murray-Young, and Palfenier, who put on their acting chops to give stunning performances.

The very spiritual first part of the piece featured Rosales as a woman wearing a black mourning dress trimmed with Spanish lace, grieving and praying at the altar of a church as beams of light streamed through stained glass. The second half featured Palfenier and Murray-Young as a man and a woman who is in the throes of a nervous breakdown, performing an agonizing relationship duet full of strained lifts and pained gestures that built in intensity to a shocking end. Both riveting and mind-blowing, it'll be exciting to see the finished version of this work in progress.

While "Fractured Space" kept the audience riveted to their seats, the rousing "Havana" had people clapping and on their feet. The jazzy music of Brett Gold, Chucho Valdes, and Ibrahim Ferreer helps set the ambience of a hot and steamy night in Cuba, when a group of dancers come together to impress with their moves in a nightclub or on the streets. The amazing Eddie Otero stole the spotlight during this piece, with his suave cha-cha-chá, spicy shoulder shimmies, and pelvic gyrations thrilling the crowd. There was a funny dance-off between him and Gaddis, as well as a sultry and hypnotic duet between Gaddis and Vicuna-McGovern.

The entire ensemble created feisty, believable characters, and the colorful, ruffled costumes by Murray-Young were spot-on.

Kudos to dancers not mentioned--Marie-Joe Tabet, Josie Therese Camp, Ashley Gezana, and Edward Salas--for their excellent work, and to technicians Erina Noda and Jessica Agar who designed the sumptuous costumes with Murray- Young, and lighting designer Sandra Fong who always completes the beautiful stage pictures of each piece, and knows how to light dancers so they glow.

Don't miss the chance to catch Contemporary West Dance Theatre's next free concert at the library. It's a price that can't be beat.

Pictured: Maria Fernanda Vicuna-McGovern

Photo by: Jason Skinner Photography

#CWDT #Bennett #Review #Dance

EMAV Review: Gender disappears in NCT's explosive, all-female 'Julius Caesar' ★★★★½

★★★★½ - Delicious

There's nary a fault in the stars nor a more fitting time for Nevada Conservatory Theatre's all-female ensemble presentation of William Shakespeare's 1599 tyrannical tragedy "Julius Caesar," playing now at UNLV's Black Box. As a learning theater, NCT is able to nurture experimentation so that in this case their talented female actors, who may always face a dearth of weighty roles, can cut their teeth playing substantial parts written for men. The risk paid off. With their gripping and explosive version of 'Caesar' the company has achieved "gender fluidity," a concept that in a recent interview guest director Beth Lopes said they hoped to explore.

We know the actors are women. We know they are portraying men. It doesn't matter. The pronouns stay the same but we hardly notice once the production hits its stride. There is an adjustment period at first, as we settle into the rhythm of Shakespeare's verse at the beginning of the show. But isn't there always a settling in with the Bard? The brilliant text then takes over and the performers are simply human beings being human, flaws and all.

The illusion of gender fluidity does get challenged here and there, especially when the two female characters Portia and Calpurnia appear and the notion of sexuality comes into play. And as timely and timeless as the politically charged story may be, it's a credit to Lopes and dramaturg Dr. Lezlie C. Cross that the well-thought-out presentation doesn't feel like a commentary on the real-world political climate at hand. Design elements do vaguely evoke the late 1930's era and the enduring parallels to history are certainly there, but the show defiantly stands on its own.

The first half of the play features the conspirators plotting and committing the murderous attack, while in the second half they become warriors battling to the bloody death. The assassination of Caesar is the point around which the story revolves, but the play isn't really about him at all. In the role of the iconic "dictator in perpetuity," Tola K. Lawal gives the regal bearing and authoritarian bent of the great conquering general with pride and charisma blended in, then in the second half unleashes a fierce beast when she steps into the part of Caesar's avenging nephew and heir Octavius.

The humble and introspective conspirator Brutus is the heart and soul of the story, wrestling with his conscience even as he coldly stabs his friend Caesar on the Ides of March to save Rome from tyranny. The sublime Alexis Hudson carries the weight and burden of Brutus' ill-fated decision on her shoulders and in her gait, and compulsively rubs her hands together as if to wipe away his evil deed. She gives a spare and subtle performance, conveying grief and regret through her expressive eyes.

The envious and conniving conspirator Cassius is brought into crisp focus with the terrific Alexandra Ralph in the part, giving a wickedly clipped delivery that matches her movement and a steely gaze that cuts as sharply as her dagger. And the charismatic Breanna McCallum is a revelation as Caesar's strongest supporter and promoter Mark Antony, who takes us on an emotional journey through grief with his masterful, perfectly paced "Lend me your ears" funeral speech.

As conspirator Casca, Isabella Rooks gives a chilling, viciously funny turn; Gabrielle Silveroli provides a balanced presence as conspirator Cimber; Christina Harvey lends much needed comic relief as Lucius; and Ruliko Cronin, Sarah Rice, and Tiana LeShay Jones acquit themselves nicely switching between multiple roles including Calpurnia, Portia, and Ligarius respectively, though sometimes it's hard to keep straight who is who.

Katie Dennis' aesthetic costume design puts actresses in pantsuits like the type an assertive young Katherine Hepburn might have worn (though Caesar's bustier was problematic on opening night), and the second act, black battle clothes with high-waisted culottes, tanks, and combat boots (which resemble old-style boxing duds) are a smart choice for bad-ass warriors to wear. Whether intentional or not, the actresses become subtly more masculine in their movement during the second half of the show, and kudos to fight choreographer Brandon Dawson for all the individual, intricate battle scenes composed into one big whole.

Jesse L. Soper's ethereal scenic design uses diaphanous white ribbons to suggest Roman columns atop the steps of the Senate, and also the sun and its rays casting shadows over it all, while John Wampler's lighting design often uses the ribbons as a colorful palette. Rounding it out is Kaliah Silva's atmospheric and tribal sound design, giving the roar of a stormy night to match the evil that churns onstage.

NCT's compelling, all-female version of "Julius Caesar" proves Shakespeare will never go out of style.

Runs through March 25th. For tickets call 702-895-ARTS (2787).

Photo by: Richard Brusky

#Bennett #Review #Theatre #NCT

EMAV Review: NBT's magical 'Nutcracker' makes Christmas joyful and bright

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Nevada Ballet Theatre makes holiday magic at the Smith Center with their annual presentation of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's (with Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov) 1892 "The Nutcracker," reimagined and choreographed by former NBT artistic director James Canfield. Canfield, who stepped down from the company in June (Roy Kaiser was recently named the new director) returned to stage his version of the story ballet, now in its sixth year. The show, as always, is a sumptuous visual feast, presented from the dreamy perspective of little girl Clara as inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," with its four-story Victorian dollhouse set, dynamic lighting, and fanciful, faraway lands. And while last year the show felt darkly atmospheric with an emphasis on characterization that stuck closely to the mood of Hoffmann's slightly scary tale, this year it is bright and airy with a more joyous feel.

The opening Christmas Eve "Party" sets the stage for Clara's magical dream and features children of NBT's Academy in different vignettes, a sweet father-daughter dance, and a humorous grandfather (Enrico DeMarco) and grandmother (Madison Ewing) whose wig is so heavy she can barely hold her head up straight. When Clara (Kaori Fukui) is given a nutcracker doll by her godfather the clockmaker Drosselmeyer (Steven Goforth), it becomes her spiritual focus and the rest of the world recedes. While the charismatic Goforth is a fine actor, he plays the eccentric character as a warm and benevolent father-figure without the mysterious edge he crafted last year, so there is a sense of magic and tension that is missing from the scene. The buoyant Fukui keeps Clara firmly rooted in childhood with a girlish enthusiasm, and looks as delicate as a porcelain doll. She's a technically strong dancer but hasn't fleshed out a deep enough character arc through movement and expression to give us an idea of Clara's personal growth, nor does she seem infatuated by her Nutcracker Prince, danced by the powerful Jun Tanabe.

Yet they are perfectly matched both in looks and athletic ability, so much so that they seem more like brother and sister than like a girl and her prince. Excitement builds during the "Transformation" scene, when a doll-sized Clara and the Nutcracker battle the Rat Queen, played by a sinewy Alissa Dale, under the gigantic Christmas tree, and Drosselmeyer turns the Nutcracker into a real boy. Tanabe excels with his wooden movement and effortless spring as the Nutcracker doll, and he and Dale seem to float as they battle it out during their midair duet. The scene is illuminated and choreographed with clarity this year and includes a booming, crowd-pleasing surprise from the toy soldiers, and builds to an exhilarating and dramatic conclusion that transitions us suddenly into the beautiful calmness of snow.

The exquisite "Dancing Snow" scene is like visual dopamine, with a full moon and large snowflakes as stars suspended in an indigo sky, and Snow Maidens who move about with the fluidity of a gentle flurry. The Winter Fairy, danced by Jaimie DeRocker, and her Snow Prince, danced by Sergio Alvarez, are an appealing pair, with Alvarez a supportive and responsive partner. They give a variety of pretty lifts but the recorded music has such a fast tempo and they whip through the pair pirouettes so briskly that on each turn we fear she might lose her balance. They're fine dancers--and perhaps it was an off evening--but they lack precision and passion, and it sometimes seems like they, as well as the corps, are rushing to get from one movement to the next.

Act II brings Clara and the Nutcracker Prince to an art-nouveau style "Enchanted Fairyland," where butterfly-like sprites waltz through streams of sunlight and around giant ropes which are the gnarled roots of trees. Rachel Thomson is a radiant Sugar Plum Fairy, Christina Ghiardi is charming as ever as the Spring Fairy, Krista Baker is a lovely Summer Fairy, and Elizabeth Grist "works" her funny antennae as the Autumn Fairy. Earthy, aesthetic, and joyful, the scene is impeccably choreographed and danced by the fairies and the harmonious corps as the Waltzing Flowers.

Two dances stand out during "The Divertissement." The spirited "Spanish" featuring Toreadors Betsy Lucas, Caroline MacDonald, DeMarco, and David Hochberg, and the sensuous "Arabian" featuring DeRocker moving seductively for noble peacock Benjamin Tucker. "Mother Ginger" is another showstopper featuring Danielle Maas as the titular matriarch in her humongous hooped skirt hiding and then revealing her children, the NBT students who thrill with their incredible tumbling skills.

Kudos to the excellent technical crew and designers--choreographer/ballet mistress Tara Foy, scenery and property designer Patricia Ruel, costume designers Sandra Woodall and Christopher Larson, lighting designer Peter Jakubowski, and music director/conductor Jack Gaughan.

NBT has come a long way since their first "Nutcracker" in 1981, which I saw then with my family and which became a Christmas tradition for many years after. Back then it was "Vegas-ized," but no matter the interpretation, it never goes out of style.

(Pictured: NBT Company Artists Jaime DeRocker and Benjamin Tucker. Photo by Alicia Lee.)

#NBT #SmithCenter #Bennett #Dance #Review

EMAV Review: Intimate, poignant pieces highlight UNLV Dance's 'In Between'

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Experience shapes art. UNLV Dance's recent fall concert "In Between" featured profoundly personal works by student choreographers that seemed to emanate straight from the heart, as well as those which took a panoramic look at more abstract ideas.

Carolyn Lajara offers a deeply-felt meditation on grief in her piece "For My Papi," set to the wistful music of Oliver Tank. About a young woman (Alissa Kuhn) struggling to deal with the death of her father (Malik Gray) who appears to her in a vision, it features religious imagery and captures the psychic inner turmoil of sorrow, which both Kuhn, Gray, and the ensemble of otherworldly beings embody with their frustrated movements and mournful facial expressions. We see the bond between Kuhn and Gray in their fleeting duets and lifts, and feel for them when Gray is swept away by the beings while Kuhn tries in vain to follow. The clarity of Lajara's narrative along with the haunting music, movement, and performances make this a piece that lingers.

Gray's own riveting work "Insecurities of a Dancer," set to "She Used to be Mine" by Sara Bareilles, is an introspective and spare, melancholy chair dance that examines the crippling self-doubt that keeps many women from achieving their dreams. After describing their perceived physical shortcomings in voiceover, five seated women dance with restricted movement that builds in momentum until the music stops abruptly, and we are jarred out of the moment as the women slide off and under their chairs. As the music resumes they dance and move the chairs freely - they have broken out of the chains of doubt and are now in control of their destiny.

The slow-jazz piece "Love Unraveled," choreographed by Rebecca Huppenthal to "Almost Blue" by Chet Baker, is like watching the memory of a painful break-up through a filter into the past. To tinkling keys and a soulful trumpet Gray and Kristina Hakobyan make a sensuous pair, perfectly attuned to each other as they gesture and move softly in unison both separately and through anguished lifts and penchés. It's an ache to which everyone can relate.

Kalie McLaughlin blends dance with theater to create her clever "Time Has a Time of its Own," set to music by Collen Whitton, which studies time as a human construct and our exasperating race with it. Both funny and complex, a quartet of dancers perch on individual hourglasses, tapping their feet as they wait impatiently for time to pass, and enact comedic voiceovers with movement to match the words.

Kuhn's evocative "Evolving Existence" is set to "Bend Your Knees" by James Vincent McMorrow and is a spiritual piece about the struggle for self-fulfillment. A central dancer in spotlight moves plaintively while confined on a rotating disc as others move freely around her. The yearning, reaching, and pretty positions contrast starkly to another piece of the supernatural kind, Lay'la K. Rogers' unsettling and cinematic "I Can't Help Myself," choreographed to the music of Svedaliza and others. A procession of women in mourning wear black dresses and veils of Spanish lace, carving the space with their forceful movements under moody lighting (atmospherically lit by Eric Haufschild), pointing fingers like it's a day of reckoning and giving a feeling of despair that we are reluctant to experience.

There's a calming quality to Jayden McCree's "Ái," choreographed to the music of Wong Hu Mao and others, with a sculptural, Asian-inspired aesthetic. The dynamic lighting intensifies dancers' angular movements as they shape the area around them, and the mood shifts with the music as dancers balance and bow with intricate hand gestures giving a beautiful visual effect. Another aesthetic and spacious work is artist- in-residence Kristine Keppel's "Unforeseen," set to "I Found" by Amber Run. Inspired by inspiration itself, there's a dreamy sadness to the piece that features fluid, emotional movement in ever-changing combinations of dancers leaping and lifting with the wonderful Zack Frongillo in a central role.

At first glance the final piece of the program, "Vega: #vegasdancestrong," choreographed by faculty member Vikki Baltimore-Dale, might seem like a work about the Oct. 1st tragedy. But perhaps that's for another time, because it's actually an elegant tribute to the extensive dance tradition of Las Vegas. Set to the music of Rupert Gray-Williams and others, the piece is metaphorical on many levels. The "Vegans" in their disco-look, colorful dresses, stiletto heels, and subtle headpieces evoke not only showgirls and Cirque performers on stilts, but also strippers, especially when the "Watchmen" appear, carrying their long poles. Baltimore-Dale paints a mesmerizing stage picture of dualities as the Vegans glow with their conservative,

controlled-yet-bold movement that gradually becomes flowing and soft. The Watchmen use the poles as levers for their own difficult moves and leaps, and support the Vegans during acrobatic lifts.

Kudos to all the choreographers, dancers, and technicians who participated in the compelling "In Between."

#UNLVDance #Dance #Review #Bennett

EMAV Review: Discomfiting 'Octoroon' hits both a nerve and the funny bone

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Majestic Repertory Theatre stimulates thought, feeling, and hopefully conversation about the ever-timely issue of race relations in our nation with their unsettling yet rollicking presentation of the 2014 Obie-winning "An Octoroon," by Branden Jacobs- Jenkins. The prolific young playwright deconstructed and reimagined Irish playwright Dion Boucicault's 1859 melodrama "The Octoroon" to create a satirical adaptation that explores the nature of identity and how it's shaped by history and social constructs of gender, class, and race.

Set before the Civil War on Terrebonne, a Louisiana cotton plantation which is up for auction (slave inhabitants included) after the death of patriarch Judge Peyton, Jacobs- Jenkins refreshed and retained much of Boucicault's original dialogue and melodramatic format. Neither the playwright nor astute director Troy Heard tiptoes around the racially charged language, stereotypes, and circumstances that were prevalent at the time. By challenging perceptions through exaggeration the show intends to offend, though discomfort is eased by broad physical comedy performed by a refined cast, with great timing to match the crisp wit of the writing.

Jacobs-Jenkins also goes metatheatrical, inserting himself into the narrative as playwright BJJ (Jason Nious). BJJ is a black actor who plays two white characters--the hero George and the villain M'Closky--while wearing whiteface, which Nious applies as he addresses the audience at the beginning of the show. As George, the magnetic Nious hits all the right notes with his eloquent aristocratic mannerisms, pronounced southern dialect, genuine charm, and wild facial expressions. He effortlessly shifts to the slimy character of M'Closky and even battles it out with himself in a boisterous fight scene.

When the Irish Playwright (Adam Dunson) materializes like a vestige from the past who arrives to haunt the present, he and BJJ have a curse-off of epic proportions. Playwright paints his face red, transforming into the drunken Native American Wahnotee wearing buckskin and feathered headdress, while his Assistant (Richie Villafuerte) dons blackface to become the slaves Pete and Paul. The acerbic Dunson nicely nails an Irish lilt though he needs to project his voice more, while Villafuerte seems to have danced right out of a minstrelsy with his elastic movement and ruby red lips.

Zoe (Tiana Jones) is the titular octoroon, a virtuous young lady whose blood is one- eighths black. As the daughter of Peyton she was raised with the rights of a white woman, though his death leaves her freedom in question. She and George are in love and share sentimental scenes, while M'Closky schemes to have her for himself. Jones captures the sincerity and pure heart of Zoe, but she rushes the flowery language and hasn't yet found the little nuances in it. More performances should help her craft a deeper portrait of the semi-tragic character.

Southern belle Dora (Adriana Chavez) has the wealth to save Terrebonne and also has the hots for George. She chases him relentlessly and though he doesn't return her affection, the chemistry between Chavez and Nious is a comical cat-and-mouse match and they play off each other with well-choreographed swoons and flourishes. The wide-eyed Chavez is a blast as she flits about with a hyperkinetic energy, her eyelashes batting and fan dramatically snapping, right on cue.

Funny gems of the show are the quirky slaves Minnie (Breanna McCallum) Dido (Jillian Austin) and Grace (Destiny Faith). Jacob-Jenkins has ingeniously and authentically modernized their gossipy conversations. He imagines them like all women on a continuum of time, giving them a "Real Housewives" flair that blends with the melodrama but also provides a respite to it. Gossip is a universal human impulse because it's an essential way to get and disseminate information to manipulate and gain an advantage.

The women own their dialogue. McCallum is a wonder to watch as daydreamer Minnie, using movement to punctuate words with a shimmy here and a head shake there, and Austin as the melancholy Dido is her perfect comic foil with some nice poignant moments of her own. Faith as the pregnant, weary Grace shines with her memorable resentment of the other two, who are "house slaves" that get to "serve pancakes." And then there's their hilarious shenanigans at the auction, where the women use their feminine wiles to take control of their destiny.

The curious Br'er Rabbit (Conrad Kauffman) appears now and then, there's a sensational scene that provides a sobering image, and it's an intermissionless, two hour play. The scene design, by Design Ninjas, resembles a Victorian traveling show with its deceptively simple, hand-painted muslin drops that feature slaves in the cotton fields illuminated by the warm lighting of Marcus Randolph, Kathy Wusnack's earthy costumes evoke iconic Southern styles, and Cory Covell's dramatic soap opera-type sound adds to the humor.

"Octoroon" is an uncomfortably funny show about one of the most sensitive and divisive issues that we face as a nation today. It disturbs as much as it entertains.

#Theatre #Review #Listing #MajesticRep #Bennett

Stars shine bright for UNLV Dance's 'Romeo and Juliet'

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Sergei Prokofiev's 1938 ballet "Romeo and Juliet," based on William Shakespeare's timeless tale of young woe, got an ambitious staging by University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Dance recently at Ham Concert Hall, in collaboration with UNLV Symphony Orchestra and UNLV Department of Theatre. "In Orchestra 3" overflowed with innovation and immediacy because eight faculty members created original choreography on dance students in an array of diverse styles, student actors echoed dancers with their own portrayals of the characters, and the show was accompanied by a rich, full orchestra of student musicians.

Under the direction of Louis Kavouras with scenario by Dolly Kelepecz-Momot, the varied choreography of Cathy Allen, Margot Mink Colbert, Victoria Dale, Richard Havey, Kavouras, Kelepecz-Momot, and guest faculty members James Jeon and Jiyeon Kim blended seamlessly into a meaningful whole. The sublime orchestra was led by conductor Taras Krysa, and professor Michael Lugering directed the talented actors.

The "Street Dance" rumbles between the Montagues and Capulets were organic and spontaneous, like hip-hop dance-offs that incorporated jazz and contemporary as well as acrobatics. The idea of the purposeful walk took on a new meaning when clans sought to assert their dominance. At first, however, it was difficult to figure out who was who as most of the ensemble wore white shirts; it would've been nice if members from each side wore coordinating colors.

Wooden batons substituted for rapiers in amazing combat sequences that featured dancers in quick, clipped movement that morphed into slow-motion battles. The rival boys were playful show-offs. Malik Gray as Romeo, Zack Frongillo as Mercutio, Jayden McCree as Tybalt, and AJ Vehec as Benvolio created a believable world of adolescent one-upmanship. They leap-frogged and then played a funny game of chicken during Mercutio's variation, bringing humor to the piece. The expressive Frongillo was a stand-out with his clean balletic technique and the cocksure elan of his portrayal, and McCree was his perfect opposite with athletic movement and a tough-guy demeanor of superiority.

Gray was not your typical, impulsive Romeo. He had a regal presence with a Zen quality that made it easy to see how Juliet, danced with purity by Cosette Richardson, would find him impossible to resist. The two shared a palpable chemistry, and once he set eyes upon her his loving gaze rarely wavered. He danced harder in the ensemble scenes than he did in his own variation, but he was a supportive partner during their beautiful "Love Dance" which went from tentative to flirtatious to sensuous with its difficult lifts and soft, quiet embraces.

During one memorable moment he held her high as she arched her back away from him and flung her arms behind her, as if in complete trust and surrender. Richardson mostly danced en pointe, but for the love duet she ditched the toe shoes and danced in nightgown and bare feet, which added another layer of sensuality. She took us on an emotional journey with her portrayal of Juliet, going from a giddy coquette dependent on her Nurse (the funny Kelepecz-Momot), to a lovestruck young woman in defiance of her parents the Lord and Lady Capulet (the courtly Denzelle McAfee and Alexis Hansbrough) and grief-stricken by her betrothal to Paris (Carolyn Lajara-Rodriguez, interestingly cast).

The "Dance of the Party Guests" was a sensory treat in both design and contemporary movement that fit beautifully with the powerful, iconic music. The aristocratic, stuffy revelers lunged and leaped, posed and laughed, and executed a few sideways lifts that ended with mannequin-like women walking on walls. Angel Sandoval's scenic design of gold candelabras and four rolling black flats

splattered with gold (the reverse side represented Verona), Elizabeth Kline's jewel-toned, moody lighting design (the brick wall/backdrop was illuminated with gorgeous colors), and Mallory Ward's steampunk-type costumes of corsets and see-through hooped black skirts was a melding of periods and styles that coalesced into an expression that was modern and unique. The "Folk Dance" was also joyful and the "Dance of the Lilies" captivating and pretty.

The complicated integration of actors into the dance narrative was hit and miss. During key moments they appeared in vignette to speak verse which corresponded to the action while dancers froze in place. When the Prince (Bobby Lang) narrated, or when Lord Capulet (Kristopher Pruett) exclaimed "Come musicians, play" to the orchestra, or when Romeo (Johann Heske) and Juliet (Alexis Hudson) first shyly met while their dancer counterparts froze doing the same, it worked.

But when more complex scenes were enacted, it often took us out of the moment and interrupted the flow of the dance. It was difficult to connect with the actors' portrayals because we were already invested in the dancers' perspectives. When Mercutio (Garrison Lopez-Quizon) had his dramatic death scene, it felt a bit like the actor was stealing the dancer's thunder.

But it all came together in the end. Though the crypt scene unfolded so quickly that when Romeo and Juliet died there wasn't much time to build an emotional response, there was a nice moment when dancer Lord Capulet handed the limp body of Juliet to his actor counterpart, and thus the two versions of the story merged. The final stage picture featured all the performers mourning the sacrifice of their children to the stupidity of their familial feud, just as Shakespeare's tragedy laments.

UNLV Dance pushed the envelope to create their collaborative, tremendous work "Romeo and Juliet," and they should be proud to add it to their repertoire.

#UNLVDance #UNLVMusic #NCT #Bennett

EMAV Review: Kelly Roth & Dancers serve up evocative postmodern fare

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Kelly Roth & Dancers presented a vibrant, free concert recently at Summerlin Library, co-sponsored by Las Vegas Clark County Library District and New Dance Foundation for the Arts, Inc. Roth casually spoke to the audience between pieces during the first act, not only to kill time for set and costume changes but also to educate about what we were seeing onstage. He is the Director of the CSN Dance Program, after all, and also happens to be a professor with a keen sense of humor.

“Did you ever think you’d see Colonel Sanders dance like that?” he joked after opening the show with the premiere of his solo “Sayings of Super Cookie,” dedicated to his mentor Murray Louis. Decked out in a bowler hat, striped shirt, and tuxedo coat, Roth dances with a jazzy, whimsical flair and brings to mind a Charlie Chaplin-ish mime. Set to the music of Francisco Tarrega arranged by Mike Oldfield, the panpipe synth sounds also give the piece an eerie, music-box feel.

Roth dedicated “Hernaeus & Taphea, part three” (1991) to early modern dancer Isadora Duncan, who was inspired by the ancient Greeks. Set to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a satyr chases a beautiful maiden, and three statue-like girls in diaphanous dresses transform into fountains by standing in kiddie pools and pouring water out of plastic jugs. It’s a comical piece and it’s fun to see the simple movements of sweeping arms, hops, and poses as Duncan might have performed them a century ago.

The elegant Yoomi Lee graced us with her pure, uncomplicated portrayal of “The Dying Swan,” Mikhail Fokine’s 1905 classic piece set to music by Camille Saint-Saens. Lee seems to float on raw emotion as she bourées across the stage, her expression growing more and more sorrowful and her undulating arms as wings frantic yet graceful as the fateful moment nears.

Roth composed “A Trimbling” (2017) in memory of Mary Trimble, a longtime Las Vegas violist who was slain during a robbery in her home. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s “String Quartet No. 1” performed live by the pristine UNLV Graduate String Quartet (Dmytro Nehrych and Yestyn Griffith on Violin, Tobias Roth on Viola, and Adam Stiber on cello), it's a piece in three movements that begins brightly and ends somberly, presumably echoing Trimble’s life. Being abstract in style it isn’t always accessible, and among dancers there’s a noticeable unevenness in experience and training. Still, performers are well-matched and in sync in individual groupings, they all give the piece a palpable poignancy of feeling, and there are some lovely pairings which feature difficult angular lifts and tender gestures.

During the hypnotic “Interlopian Tubes” (2016) the intuitive beauty of the postmodern tradition shines through Roth’s fluid choreography and the dynamic dancing of Carrie L. Miles, Yoomi Lee, Jennifer Roberts, Kaylee Hannig, and Christina Stockdale. Set to the atmospheric music of David Longstreth, Louis Andriessen, and Evan Ziporyn, the piece features the paintings of Emily McIlroy--which resemble internal female organs--projected on the backdrop, and lit tubes onstage out of which dancers emerge. They each perform an intricate, unique solo that captures some aspect of the female experience, or maybe a different aspect of one woman who may or may not be dreaming. It’s a stunning, sleeper of a dance.

Roth’s “Iron Rod” (2006) features the magical iron rod as the pathway to the Tree of Life. Thor Ellyk’s music gives a dreamy, cinematic sound as the dancers move in different groupings, carrying and balancing their rods, doing extensions and sissones under a single beam of light shining down.

“Elegy to Murray” (2016) is another ode to Louis, with Roth dancing a contemplative piece by embodying thoughts, emotions, and memories as his son Tobias Kremer Roth plays Igor Stravinsky on violin. And Roth presents his version of Fokine’s 1911 ballet burlesque “Petrushka” (2016) set to Stravinsky’s music with costumes after Alexandre Benois’ originals by Cynthia DuFault. Hannig plays the rag doll puppet Petrushka, Miles dances the ballerina puppet doll with whom Petrushka is in love, Lorenzo Valoy portrays the handsome Moor puppet who Ballerina fancies, and Daniel Mendoza is the Magician who owns them all. It’s delightfully danced and mimed in a puppet-like way, captures the vintage Ballet Russes flair, and is a fitting, fun finale.

Kudos to other dancers who give their all, including Ariadna Ramirez, Makena Kimani, Chaslina Cress, and Alexis Portillo; to lighting designers Roth and jody Caley; to costume designers Catherine Sterle, Audrey Ketchell, and DuFault; to set designer Staci Walters; and to video editors Roth and Jeremiah Johnson.

#Bennett #Roth #summerlin #Review #Dance

EMAV Review: Ending their 10th season, LVCDT says ‘goodbye’ and also, ‘hello’ to Contemporary West D

★★★★★ - Irresistible

With their “10th Year Anniversary Celebration” the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater came full circle in early September, giving an emotional, final performance on the same stage at West Las Vegas Library where they have given many free concerts for the public through the years, in co-sponsorship with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. But the multicultural company, which has a repertoire of over 40 ballets, is not shutting down. Far from it. As founding artistic director Bernard H. Gaddis explained to the audience during a break between dance pieces, it’s time for the company to “think out of the box and continue to grow and evolve.”

Which means going global--though the company will be headquartered here--and “branching out past Las Vegas” to “obtain new followers” and to make a name for themselves on the national and international stage. Hence the new motto “The end of an era and the beginning of a new one,” and the brand new company name Contemporary West Dance Theatre which becomes official on January 1, 2018.

The ten performers--Marie-Joe Tabet, Eddie Otero, Abdiel Figueroa, Josie Camp, Adrianna Rosales, Rachel Murray, Avree Walker, Matthew Palfenier, Maria Vicuna-McGovern, and Ashley Gezana--danced their hearts out with such emotional intensity that their last concert under the LVCDT moniker felt especially meaningful.

Which is apropos since the search for spiritual meaning and connection seems to be a theme in associate artistic director and original company member Tabet’s compelling ballet “Disassociated,” which had its world premiere at the show.

Set to Kanye West’s gospel tune “Ultralight Beam” and the music of Max Richter, the piece has a futuristic, apocalyptic feel, with a red backdrop and hazy streams of sepulchral lights shining on dancers as West sings “this is a God dream, this is everything.” They move in angular, slow-motion pairings and poses and weave in and out of each other as if trying to connect but not really knowing how. On Friday the piece was at first disjointed with dancers seeming to lose their place, but it slowly began flowing together and built momentum to a powerful conclusion as dancers moved as one organism while reaching and pleading, and then fell abruptly to the floor like dominoes one after the other to dramatic effect. Veteran company member Otero plays a Christ-like figure; he has the amazing ability to embody charismatic archetypes like the spiritual shaman and the sensuous man. And Gezana’s luminous eyes pierce eerily through the haze.

Gaddis also enjoyed a world premiere with his sophisticated ballet “Stolen Moments,” set to music by Olafur Arnalds, Max Richter, Hans Zimmer, and Alvo Noto. A hypnotic work of art, the piece features three couples who begin with an intimate, repeating gesture as each turns to gently touch their neighbor and so on down the line. The dancing is beautiful yet also athletic with difficult acrobatic lifts expressing the emotional dynamic of couples in various complex pairings coming together, splitting apart, and then back again. Tabet and Walker create a fiery backstory as a couple with a painful relationship which draws us like moths to a flame because it’s a collective experience to which we can reluctantly relate, while Palfenier and Vicuna-McGovern show off their pure lines. Otero does a solitary dance, and there’s a neat bit where a couple moves from one spotlight to the next as they duet across the stage.

There’s a clarity of feeling to Gaddis’ ballet “Mood Azul,” set to the music of Dave Brubeck and Marc Frank, that brings to mind a cool ocean breeze on a warm summer night. Idealized romanticism with an exuberant mood, the dancing is lyrical, jazzy, and oh-so-delicate. The sound and look is ethereal and airy, with multiple layers of blue including the girls’ long dresses that carve shapes as they float in space. Lighting designer Sandra Fong has a wonderful talent for enhancing the look of the dancers--their creamy skin shimmers and the whites of their eyes glow. And smooth Eddie Otero shines again when the piece takes on a Latin flair and he performs a sensuous salsa with a wink, a sincere laugh, and the flick of a hand.

“Mood Azul” makes us feel contentment, happiness, and peace. Seems like a great place to leave the legacy of LVCDT.

#LVCDT #CWDT #Bennett #Dance #Review

It’s time to take a chance on Dance

PHOTO CREDIT: BLINDers Choreographed by Jason Plowman and Daria SobelmanA Choreographers’ Showcase 2016 Photo by John Rohling

Las Vegas may be considered the “Entertainment Capital of the World” but the fancy facade of the Strip often overshadows the top-notch performing arts companies which flourish in the desert community. When it comes to the art of movement, there’s a hearty menu of dance on tap for the 2017-2018 season.

Nevada Ballet Theatre punctuates their 45th year with the theme “Every Moment. Every Movement. Elevated.” Artistic director James Canfield stepped down in June and the search for a new leader is still in progress, though guest artists will stage select concert pieces. During his tenure Canfield structured the company as an ensemble of dancers rather than as a hierarchy, so it will be interesting to see what path a new leader will take.

“A Choreographers’ Showcase”: This year marks the tenth anniversary of NBT and Cirque du Soleil’s yearly collaboration of works that creates a magical coalescence of different styles through pieces choreographed and performed by company artists. Alan Medina directs. October 8, 14 and 15 in Mystere Theatre at Treasure Island Hotel.

“Classic Americana”: For Veterans Day three pieces celebrating the American spirit are staged by dancers associated with each choreographer and are accompanied by live orchestra. Sandra Jennings stages George Balanchine’s lyrical “Serenade” featuring music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Rachel Berman stages Paul Taylor’s jazzy “Company B” featuring songs of The Andrews Sisters, and Richard Tanner stages Balanchine’s folksy “Western Symphony” set to melodies orchestrated by Hershy Kay. November 11-12 in the Smith Center.

“The Nutcracker”: Canfield returns to rehearse and stage his elegant and fanciful version of the Tchaikovsky-scored holiday favorite which features a life-sized Victorian dollhouse set, serene winter snow scene, and colorful characters that Clara and her Prince meet along their dreamy adventure. December 9-24 in the Smith Center, some with live orchestra.

“Beauty and the Beast”: Choreographed by Lew Christensen in 1958 to the music of Tchaikovsky, this familiar fairy tale about beauty being more than skin deep features feisty forest creatures and has its NBT premiere February 17-18 in the Smith Center. “Ballet and Broadway”: Comprised of three ballets including Christopher Wheeldon’s “Carousel (A Dance)” which is loosely based on Richard Rodgers’ 1945 musical, Balanchine’s “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” based on Rodgers and Hart’s musical “On your Toes,” and the premiere of a new work commissioned and created for NBT. May 5-6 in the Smith Center.

The Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater is also in a state of transformation. Founding artistic director Bernard H. Gaddis announced today that the company will officially become the Contemporary West Dance Theatre on January 1, 2018. Gaddis recently branched out by forming the new LVCDT Second Company made up of pre-professional students, with artistic direction by LVCDT company artists Matthew Palfenier and Avree Walker. It will be exciting to watch the company grow in a new direction. LVCDT concludes their season with a Fall Concert co-sponsored by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

“10-year Anniversary Season Celebration”: LVCDT presents a favorite piece from their repertoire “Mood Azul” and the new work “Stolen Moments,” both choreographed by Gaddis, along with the new work “Disassociated,” choreographed by associate artistic director Marie-Joe Tabet. September 8-9 in West Las Vegas Library Theatre, free.

UNLV Dance , led by Chairman Louis Kavouras, titles their season “The In Crowd,” and interdepartmental collaboration seems to be the name of the game.

“In Orchestra 3”: UNLV Orchestra unites with UNLV Dance as dance faculty and guest artists blend their diverse choreographic styles to create their own, original version of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet,” telling the story through the viewpoints of different forms of dance. Dancers move, musicians play, and actors speak the words of William Shakespeare. October 20-21 in Ham Concert Hall.

“In Between”: This is a popular choreographers’ showcase featuring works composed and performed by UNLV Dance students. November 16-19 in Dance Studio One (HFA111).

“In Composition”: UNLV Dance music-composer-in-residence Professor Beth Mehocic collaborates with UNLV School of Music composition faculty and dance faculty choreographers to create this unique concert. March 2-3 in Judy Bayley Theatre.

“In Stride”: Bachelor of Fine Arts majors in dance show how they've grown through the year by presenting their choreographed works. April 26-29 in Dance Studio One (HFA111).

College of Southern Nevada Department of Dance produces an informal and formal dance concert each semester with the guidance of Department Head Kelly Roth. “Informal Dance Concert”: A showcase for teachers and students to show what they’ve done in class and for students to present their original choreography. Shows on October 17 in Nicholas J. Horn Theatre, free.

“Wisdom”: This year marks the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, and this concert is a tribute presented by the CSN Dance Ensemble and CSN Concert Dance Company. December 1-2 in the Horn Theatre.

“Kelly Roth & Dancers”: The post-modern company presents a contemporary concert of Roth’s choreographic works performed by Roth, company dancers, guest artists, and live musicians. Selections include “Interlopian Tubes,” a suite of abstract solos that incorporates art; “A Trimbling,” an homage to slain local violinist Mary Trimble; “Petrushka,” a spirited story about strange, wild puppets; and Michel Fokine’s 1905 soulful “The Dying Swan” danced by guest artist Yoomi Lee. September 15-16 at the Summerlin Library Performing Arts Center, free. Co-produced by New Dance Foundation for the Arts, Inc. and LVCCLD.

#Dance #Bennett #Theatre #SmithCenter

EMAV Review: SST’s ‘Man of La Mancha’ dares to dream big

★★★★☆ - Delicious

The original cast recording album of the 1965 Broadway musical “Man of La Mancha,” with its bright yellow cover illustrated by Al Hirschfeld with his funny caricatures, got a lot of play in our house when I was a kid. Since it’s currently being produced at Spring Mountain Ranch for Super Summer Theatre, you might wonder how well the show, written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, has held up through the years.

P.S. Production’s presentation of “Man of La Mancha” does not disappoint. With Director Joe Hynes at the helm the show gets a traditional and tasteful treatment. The look is organic, the music is gorgeous, and the performances are uniformly good. It may be a bit dated and a tad dark but the songs are the timeless type that keep you humming for days.

Inspired by 17th century Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes’ farcical novel “Don Quixote,” the show centers on Cervantes himself as a writer/actor/tax collector thrown into prison with his sidekick Sancho for foreclosing on a church during the Spanish Inquisition. Forced to defend himself in front of a jury of fellow prisoners he tells his story by putting on a show, with other prisoners playing the various characters in the tale. And so his protagonist the wannabe Knight-errant Don Quixote, who has gone madfrom reading too many books about chivalry, sets out on a quest with Sancho to right all that is wrong in the world.

At first R Brodie Perry seems unimposing as Cervantes, but when he puts on his silvery beard and mustache and transforms into the eccentric Quixote, the wow factor sets in. From the moment he opens his mouth to sing the anthemic “Man of La Mancha,” he grabs us with his larger-than-life baritone that is electrifying, moving, and somehow soothing. He is both funny and poignant as the kindly cavalier who dares to dream “The Impossible Dream” and see the world how he wishes it to be rather than how it really is. “Facts are the enemy of truth,” he says.

As sidekick Sancho, the endearing Josh Meurer proves Perry’s perfect physical complement and also his vocal counterpoint when he chimes in with his crisp tenor and grounding humour. When he sings the whimsical song “I Really Like Him” to explain his devotion to his delusional master, we find a lot to like about the lovable Sancho, too.

Alexandra Ralph has the earthy sensuality of Aldonza/Dulcinea as well as the fortitude and defiance she relies on to fend off the licentious advances of men. Forced to sell herself to survive, she’s a spitfire who puts up a wall of defense to forget the despair in her life. Ralph channels that anger by pouncing on her solos like “It’s All the Same” with the fierceness of an alley cat, and though her singing is fine most of the time, she often struggles to hit the high notes.

But it’s a physically demanding role, and the show is rated PG 10 partly because of the abuse from the Muleteers that Aldonza endures. For the deceptively sweet song “Little Bird, Little Bird,” Carlos Arevalo, Coree Davis, Diego Miguel, Scott O’Brien, Randy Hample, and Adam Araujo serenade her with lilting harmonies in an increasingly taunting and menacing way, moving in slowly with simmering Tango/Flamenco claps and poses that are intensely dramatic. It’s subtly done but along with a few other suggestive scenes, still has the power to disturb. Standouts include Miguel who shines with his enthusiastic dance moves, and Davis who draws eyes and ears with his presence and beautiful tenor.

Amanda Collins as Antonia, Melissa Riezler as Housekeeper, and Miguel Alasco as Padre impressively nail their divine trio “I’m Only Thinking of Him” with textured, heavenly singing; Glenn Heath does funny tongue-in-cheek deadpan as Innkeeper; and Wade Abel is conniving and sinister as Dr. Carrasco.

Evan Bartoletti’s scenic design is aesthetic and earthy, with its softly colored Moorish architecture and intricate wooden trellis and balcony a surprising juxtaposition to the customary idea of a prison being stark and dark; Ellen Bone’s lighting design includes hazy sepulchral streams and stained glass projections to suggest a church; Eric Bean’s exquisite choreography seems tailored to the abilities of his dancers as an extension of character with a Spanish/Arabic flair--the gypsy dance is especially fun; Sandra Hunstman’s and Douglas Baker’s "peasanty" costumes continue the earthy vibe; and Katherine Gonzalez’s dynamic sound design includes touches like dripping water and clanking prison gates. The sound engineering and mixing at the Ranch have improved immensely, as every word sung and said can be heard.

Kudos to Music/Vocal Director Susan Easter, Orchestrator/Musician Martin Laniel along with musicians Elvis Lederer and Macienzy Kahl, and all other technicians and performers not mentioned.

What kind of world would this be if everyone’s dreams could come true?

#Bennett #SST #PSProductions #Review #Theatre

EMAV Review: Vegas Fringe @ LVLT (part 1)

Editor's note: Every year we look forward to the theatrical inspiration from companies across the valley that comes together for the Vegas Fringe, hosted by Las Vegas Little Theatre. Our team of reviewers has worked to cover each of the 11 shows. Here is the first in our series from

Lisa Bennett. The Fringe continues 6/15-6/18. Beat the heat and catch them all this weekend!

Get your tickets here!

Las Vegas Little Theatre’s eighth annual “VegasFringe” festival lived up to the ideal of being a showcase for challenging works, at least for the three shows I was able to watch in their Black Box venue on Sunday.

"32112" ★★★☆☆

Thujone's Theatre Tribe

This gut-wrenching yet riveting original work, written and directed by Oliver Jones and debuted by Thujone’s Theatre Tribe, packs a lot of punch into 45 minutes of running time. It’s a strange saga about a polygamous group of three women and their sadistic husband who seem karmically doomed to play out their dysfunctional relationship over and over through three different, parallel family units (one is a circus) during the Victorian era. Ideas about birth and death figure prominently, and the story feels like a religious allegory about being trapped in hell, heaven, and the place in between.

The archetypal women are victims of horrible abuse, and they are exploited early on. While it fits the narrative a suspenseful scene of graphic sex and violence is so realistic it’s painful to watch, though actors appear here as shadows in dimly-lit darkness and we’re mostly spared the stark visuals. But we can see enough, and the sounds of suffering can’t be unheard.

The actors plumb their depths. The elegant Angela Ray Clark gives an intricate pathos to tight-rope walker Joan, the most devoted of the wives and the one we most empathize with; an earthy Anna Allred as the ever-pregnant Cindy and a feisty Mindy Gilkerson as woman/child Martha feel stronger as an intertwined duo of schemers rather than as individuals; and a wraithlike Shane Cullum truly terrifies as the slithery, sociopathic Hank, and valiantly tries to reconcile the early, evil sadist with the underwritten character in later scenes.

“32112” will shock you out of your comfort zone and is a unique, thought-provoking piece, but the characters could use more development and the plot threads more meat. Like Cindy’s baby it needs more time to gestate.

"One for the Road" ★★★★☆

Torn Kite Theatre Company

The Torn Kite Theatre Company expertly crafts disturbing, agitprop angst for their presentation of Harold Pinter’s political play “One for the Road,” directed by Josh Sigal. Four ensemble members each learned and rehearsed all four characters and alternate in the roles throughout the run. To top it off, immediately after each show the cast gives an encore performance with a surprise configuration different from the first. It allows for a malleable, fluid interpretation of Pinter's piece, which transcends time and is as relevant now as it was when he penned it in 1984.

About a sadistic, authoritarian interrogator named Nicolas who psychologically torments dissidents Victor and his wife Gila along with their son Nicky, the play is a chilling commentary on the human rights abuses of totalitarian regimes. When a subtly menacing Ace Charles as Nicolas says "I love death," we wholeheartedly believe him. He savors each stream-of-consciousness line, even finding the time for a few "Pinter pauses" as he circles the terrified Victor, played by Jacob Moore, like a hawk zeroing in on his prey. While Moore doesn't look disheveled enough to be a torture victim (performing the second show might limit costume choices) we can see the fear in his darting eyes and tremulous movements.

The vivacious Stefanie McCue took a turn as Nicolas for the second show, and epitomizes his self-description of "chatty." Her personable nature easily brings out Pinter's ironic humor, but she’s still evil to the core. She draws a devastated Charles as Victor into her web with calculated ease, then stings when the time is right. When she coldly teases a beaten down Shana Brouwers as Gila about being raped by soldiers, Brouwers shrinks and pleads in desperation. It’s nice to see the ensemble show off their acting chops, and to get a different take on each character.

"Former Boyfriends of Maddie Support Group" ★★☆☆☆

Aztec Pyramid Scheme

This sketch comedy show was written and performed by Aztec Pyramid Scheme’s Devin Beckwith, Kyle Goulston, and Louis Hillegass IV, and directed by Derek Shipman.

Like the title says, college aged-boys who dated and were dumped by the charismatic Maddie form a talk therapy group headed by a doctor, where they monitor Maddie’s Facebook wall and commiserate about their heartbreak.

Hillegass IV plays both Dr. Stilton and Maddie, while Beckwith and Goulston play her six suitors. Though the performers display natural talent and there are funny moments, the show is messy and the humor is juvenile, with lines like “I’m not a dweeb, I’m just super woke.” One guy even gets kicked out of the “happiest place in the world” because he’s unhappy when Maddie falls for a blow up doll/guy on a pirate ride. The show’s idea is intriguing and it might work better as a play with streamlined situations and characters, but it definitely needs to be polished. That being said, the audience loved it.

#Bennett #LVLT #Fringe #Theatre #Review

NBT’s playful ‘Peter Pan’ sets hearts aflutter at the Smith Center

★★★★★ - Irresistible

“Second to the right, and then straight on till morning.” Every child knows (though most grown-ups have forgotten) that Neverland is a wondrous place that resides in the the heart and mind. Nevada Ballet Theatre’s charming storybook presentation of choreographer Jorden Morris’ adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale “Peter Pan” proved the perfect family treat on Mother’s Day weekend. For Barrie’s story isn’t just about feisty fairies, crusty pirates, and a little boy who refuses to grow up, but is also about the yearning for a mother’s love.

Growing up can feel like exuberance sprinkled with melancholy for children and parents alike. It’s a fleeting quality integral to Barrie’s work that Morris admirably captures, choreographed mostly to the music of Barrie’s contemporary Sir Edward Elgar, among others. He stays with the story (with a few variations) and takes the time to develop the loving relationship of the Darling family in the first act nursery scenes with funny horseplay and pretty duets, though this section feels a bit long. But once Peter and Tinkerbell arrive and Wendy, Michael, and John fly off with them to Neverland (literally and fantastically, courtesy of Flying By Foy), the show really gets its wings.

Morris, who worked with the company on the production with the help of rehearsal assistants Caitlin Peabody and Tara Foy, uses grand gestures and pantomime to propel the narrative forward that are more fresh and natural in style than in classic story ballets. The language is animated without being cartoonish, and the dancers really get to show off their acting chops. We can see Barrie’s familiar words in their movements.

Elgar’s beautiful work “Dream Children” sets a wistful tone for the nursery scene where Peter, danced by Jun Tanabe, and Wendy, danced by Betsy Lucas, meet. After Peter’s rollicking chase with his life-sized Shadow (David Hochberg), Wendy sews it back on his feet and an attraction ignites between the two during a shy duet of discovery. Peter and Wendy seem a bit more grown-up than usual here and Tanabe and Lucas share a palpable chemistry in what feels like a blossoming romance.

Tanabe’s Peter is a powerful leader, and he wows with his athletic multiple tours a la second, high leaps and beats, and acrobatics in the air, yet also has a gentle gracefulness. And he makes it all look easy while wearing a flying harness, as does Lucas who conveys Wendy’s dual qualities of daintiness mixed with strong-willed strength, giving the feel of a spirited young girl awakening into adolescence with her flowing arabesques and cheerful jetés.

The charismatic Emma McGirr brings to life the spunky Tinkerbell with her expressive features and dramatic emotions. She humorously pumps her fists in fits of fury, pas de chats and fouettés crisply like a jubilant fairy would, and collapses into side splits with arms crossed and feet flexed like the petulant creature she is. After Tinkerbell drinks poison to save Peter they perform a beautiful dying pas de deux, but the colorful Neverland Fairies as a corps de ballet dance and sprinkle pixie dust to magically revive her (though there’s an awkward transition when McGirr leaves the stage to have her harness put on).

Benjamin Tucker and Alissa Dale as Mr. and Mrs. Darling exude fond feeling in their soft duets together in the nursery, with Tucker stuffy yet silly and Dale full of motherly love. The elegant Dale is particularly moving in a scene where she waits mournfully for her vanished children to return. And in the Neverland Forest she holds court as Princess Tiger Lily, sharing a sensuous, stylized pas de deux with an anthropomorphized Crocodile, danced by Steven Goforth wearing an avant-garde costume that gives an earthy Art-Deco look.

Tucker does double duty with a very funny and cowardly portrayal of the dastardly Captain Hook, often sword fighting with Tanabe as Peter, who always outwits him by leaping out of his reach. There’s also an intricate chase/duet between Tucker and Goforth as nemesis Croc that simulates a scuffle in the watery lagoon, and amusing antics with his bumbling sidekick Smee, danced by a goofy Enrico DeMarco.

The choreography is rooted in classical ballet, with traditional-style group numbers involving the Lost Boys and Pirate Clans that include acrobatic, dueling duets and what looks like improvised battles. The entire cast crafts a wonderful ensemble. Standouts include Stephan Azulay, Sergio Alvarez, David Hochberg, Krista Baker, and Caroline MacDonald. Kudos to Isabella Kowalski as Michael, Emmie Strickland as John, Christina Ghiardi as maid Liza, and Charis Dexter as fluffy dog-nursemaid Nana.

The gorgeous sets of the Edwardian nursery with picture window and starry skies, the Maxfield Parrish inspired Neverland forest/waterfall, and the Jolly Rancher were designed by Don Rutledge and Andrew Beck; Anne Armit created the striking costumes with an Art Nouveau flair; and Robert Hand assisted by Peter Jakubowski designed the evocative, dreamy lights.

NBT’s “Peter Pan” is an enchanting flight for kids and grown-ups alike.

#Review #Dance #NBT #Bennett

EMAV Review: 'Fiddler' gently tugs at the heart strings with timeless tale ★★★★★

★★★★★ - Irresistible

With its hopeful sunrises and melancholy sunsets, Signature Production's "Fiddler on the Roof," playing now at the Summerlin Library Theatre, features eloquent performances with a wide spectrum of feeling to match its colorful skies. Directed by DeAnna Anderson with a traditional telling, there's a clarity to the presentation that conveys the ephemeral nature of life and how the past and future collide to form the present.

The 1964 Tony-winning musical is based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem and the play "Tevya and His Daughters" by Arnold Perl, and written by Joseph Stein (book), Jerry Bock (music), and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics), with Jerome Robbins directing and choreographing. Detractors thought the show downplayed the hardships of collective Jewish experience, but the creators felt its universal themes about tradition, family, faith, and love gave voice to all humanity. And with the world in such upheaval and so many people displaced from their homes, it seems more topical now than ever.

Set in 1905 in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in a shtetl called Anatevka, dairyman Tevye lives with his wife Golde and their five daughters in a modest home, their lives under increasing threat from vicious pogroms. His three oldest girls Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava are of marrying age, but they'd rather not have matchmaker Yente arrange unions for them as tradition dictates. Intelligent and forward thinking, they'd like a chance at love and happiness by choosing their own mates as partners in life. With each marriage proposal more radical than the one before, Tevye's faith is tested as he questions God and the place of tradition in a rapidly changing world.

The unassuming Glenn Heath plays Tevye, one of the most sought after roles in the musical canon. During "If I Were a Rich Man" he's got Tevye's shimmy down, but he isn't your typical gruff Poppa, explosive and full of bluster. Heath captures Tevye's wit with quiet self-effacement and his thoughtfulness with deep introspection, crafting a gentleman who takes his time to weigh the issues during conversations with God. His emotions are raw, and there are lovely, vulnerable moments with his daughters and their unconventional suitors as he plaintively sings, "Look at my daughter's face, she loves him." He may have his doubts about tradition but we don't doubt that he loves his family. His measured, understated portrayal transcends the times and feels utterly modern.

At Tzeitel's wedding Tevye and Golde, played with proud, optimistic, and loving strength by Melissa Riezler, reflect on the painful "Sunrises and Sunsets" of life in a heartrending ensemble piece. Heath and Riezler make a complimentary pair, and it's fun to see their affection grow as she finally drops her pragmatic facade during their sweet duet "Do You Love Me."

The three oldest sisters are vividly drawn and sublimely sung by the delicate Amanda Collins as Tzeitel, the feisty Narée Asherian as Hodel, and a headstrong Reese Carter as Chava. Their memorable trio "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" is gorgeous and full of cheerful yearning, and it's a pleasure to watch them blossom as they fully embrace their individual destinies.

Each girl shares a nice chemistry with her sweetheart. Especially endearing is Joshua Meltzer as Tzeitel's love the humble tailor Motel, who hits all the right notes during his joyous song "Miracle of Miracles." A cerebral Jared Griffith embodies Hodel's progressive guy Perchik, nailing lines like "Money is the world's curse..." with perfect idealism. And Joey Miceli has a calming quality as Chava's rebellious choice the Russian gentile Fyedka.

Anita Bean is a natural comic foil as the busybody Yente; Gene Vitale brings a kind presence to the butcher Lazar Wolf during the song "To Life"; and while Faith Radford as Grandma Tzeitel is difficult to see from certain vantage points she's very funny during the rip-roaring "Tevye's Dream," as is Lisa MacKay who manages to belt out a difficult tune while literally flying across the stage as the ghoulish Fruma Sarah. Kudos to the entire cast who are wonderfully in tune.

Anderson's elegant yet rustic village set is a pretty palette for both joy and sorrow which uses rolling pieces and a raked ramp to enhance staging possibilities; Elizabeth Kline's vibrant lighting design reflects time, place, and mood with polychromatic color; Roxanne Andrews' costumes are earthy, perfectly peasanty, and well-constructed, though a few mens' trousers look messy; and Noah Goddard's awe-inspiring sound design is barely noticeable at all, engineered so it's not too loud or too soft and every word is clearly heard.

Shauna Oblad's musical direction is masterfully harmonious; Ashley Oblad's choreography (presumably after Robbins' original compositions) features the ensemble giving precisely timed folk dances of claps and snaps as well as an excellent quintet in an intricate Bottle Dance that thrills the crowd; and while Alda Tomasic's wig and make-up design works well overall, in some cases it feels overdone. A variation in the color and weight of wigs, beards, and eyebrows might look more natural.

As he watches and plays his violin, the Fiddler (Joshua Smithline) is a metaphor for the human spirit. He is both our ancestors and our descendants, and he is us.

#Signature #Bennett #Theatre #Review

EMAV Review: NBT's ethereal 'Swan Lake' flies high at the Smith Center ★★★★★

★★★★★ - Irresistible

In the clearing of a misty forest somewhere far away there's an enchanted lake filled with the sorrow of a mother's tears. Nevada Ballet Theatre took us to that magical place recently at The Smith Center with the premiere of their extraordinarily pretty "Swan Lake," staged by Cynthia Gregory after the choreography of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa to the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Gregory's version of the tragic tale, about an innocent maiden transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer and the handsome prince who loves her, streamlines the saga by trimming superfluous details, especially in the garden party of the first act. The result is a prologue and three scenes which focus on the core story by telling it through naturalistic performances and clear miming, and particularly through the eyes of the melancholy prince.

After all, the story's the thing and the emphasis on character enhances the quality of classical movement given by the company, supported by the refined, 51 piece orchestra led by Conductor Leif Bjaland.

Notes of a celestial harp and weeping violin fill the air as moonlight streams through leaves into the lakeside clearing of a forest (lighting by Peter Jakubowski, costumes and scenery by Peter Farmer). The Swan Queen Odette, danced by Alissa Dale, and Prince

Siegfried, danced by Steven Goforth, fall deeply in love during the White Adagio, and this is where the show truly takes flight. A sensuous chemistry ignites between the pair, with Goforth full of yearning and Dale fluttering and glancing shyly as she gently guides his arms to encircle her in a momentary embrace. The image of the Prince holding the Swan as she performs gorgeous pirouettes, supple backbends, and airy split lifts against an inky, moonlit night creates a serene and haunting stage picture that is beguiling to the eye.

The corps as the enchanted Swan Maidens with their willowy port de bras waltz in unison or bourrée in formation to resemble a bevy of birds. Kaori Fukui, Betsy Lucas, Caroline MacDonald, and Emma McGirr effortlessly portray the endearing Little Swans as they look left, then right, and pas de chat while moving quickly with arms interlaced, and Krista Baker and Christina Ghiardi give the Big Swans an equally impressive grace.

With his smoldering good looks and dramatic dancing, Stephan Azulay is perfect as sorcerer Baron Von Rothbart, and crafts a complex portrait of the sinister man. He is the keeper of the Swan Maidens, opening his serpentine arms to manipulate them into formation, conducting them like a sadistic shepherd herding his flock. There's a terrifying moment when he tears Odette away from Siegfried with only a flourish of his hands and the magnetic power in his fingertips. Dale struggles to resist yet is pulled forcefully toward him, twisting and turning while contorting her body aesthetically to transform from a woman back into an imprisoned swan.

Scene II takes us to the sumptuous castle for Siegfried's birthday celebration and introduction to the princesses, from whom he reluctantly must choose a bride to please the Queen Mother, played by Clarice Rathers. Each princess leads her own dance, and includes the elegant Baker in the Hungarian, a saucy Lucas supported by Sergio Alvarez and Morgan Stillman in the Spanish, a coquettish Ghiardi in the Russian, and the charming Fukui with Jun Tanabe in the Neapolitan duet.

Rothbart arrives with his doppelganger daughter Odile, also danced by Dale, who attempts to fool the Prince into thinking she is his beloved Odette. In the simmering Black Adagio Dale is sharp and calculated as she seductively teases while he chases, and Goforth is full of desire as she entices him erotically and then coldly pushes him away. He's overjoyed at her touch and she knows she's got him. The scene abruptly goes dark save for one stark, unforgiving spotlight beaming down on him. His heartbreaking betrayal of Odette is complete.

On opening night the pair slipped slightly during the adagio which seemed to momentarily shake their confidence and their individual variations weren't as strong as they might have liked. Still, Goforth was euphoric as he performed his beautiful beats and multiple tours, and Dale jubilantly attacked the 32 fouettes, her near mastery dazzling the crowd. Kudos to both for having the presence, stamina, and extreme emotionality to pull off these demanding characters. Dale brings distinct personalities and movements to the notoriously difficult roles of Odette and Odile with her clean, expressive technique and subtle feeling, crafting both as part awakening woman and part tremulous bird, yet in very different ways. And Goforth carries the mournful story by fully fleshing out the brooding Prince, who can't fit in with the norm, with an undercurrent of aching sadness even when he is blissfully in love with the archetypally pure, perfect Swan.

After Odette and the Prince throw themselves off a cliff knowing the spell can never be broken, some productions divinize the lovers by sending them up in a chariot to live forever together in the afterlife. NBT's version gives the happy ending to the Swan Maidens, who in warm sunlight metamorphose back to human form when Odette's ultimate sacrifice leads to Rothbart's demise.

#Bennett #NBT #Review #Dance

EMAV Review: Fluid 'Metamorphoses' views ancient myth with modern eyes ★★★★☆

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Nevada Conservatory Theatre's elegant presentation of "Metamorphoses" is an evocative, labyrinthine journey to an otherworldly place from the moment we step through the door. A dark curtained path leads up a ramp and opens out into the cavernous playing space, and with a still pool of water taking center stage we get the sense we've emerged into a mother's womb. This is where life begins.

Emotion and intuition. Sexuality and mysticism. Transformation. The symbolic and mutable quality of water is what gave Mary Zimmerman the idea to make it a focal point of her 1998 play, which takes us back to the beginning of the first century and Roman poet Ovid's epic "Metamophoses," his narrative of fifteen books which explores over 250 transformational myths. Based on David R. Slavitt's 1994 free verse translation of the piece, she wrote it for a story theater style, ensemble cast who narrate and enact a series of vignettes which incorporate whimsical modern elements to show the universality and timelessness of the stories.

Water also represents danger, both figuratively and literally. Skilled Director Michael Lugering has crafted refined staging for his excellent, focused actors who continually move in and out of the pool, magically appearing and then disappearing, dancing and doing battle in carefully choreographed sequences.

Performers also smoothly navigate the slick surface of the often wet deck, which further limits the action. Unusual safety issues were probably a huge consideration for technicians like Michele Anderson Beck, whose set design recalls the mosaic floors of a Roman Bath in the vein of a muted Vincent Van Gogh painting, and Javier Moreno-Bothwell, who evokes both the warm sun, cold moon, and stormy ocean in his lights.

The show opens with a welcoming scene that reminds of a Greco-Roman gymnasium, the actors performing a cheerful, angular dance (no choreographer credited) to percussive, tribal music (designed by Doniel Richardson) in their vintage inspired, colorful bathing suits (designed by Hailey Eakle). Narrators then explain how mankind emerged from the primordial soup.

Some vignettes carry more emotional immediacy than others. The eerily beautiful, plaintively performed story of Orpheus (Brandon Dawson) and Eurydice (Tola K. Lawal) throws an unforgettable, emotional punch. On their wedding day, Eurydice is killed by a snake and Orpheus crosses the River Styx into the masochistic Underworld to bring her back. Hades (Jesse Bourque) allows Eurydice to return with him, but only if he walks ahead of her and Hermes (Keach Siriani Madden) and doesn't look back until they've fully ascended. Inevitably Orpheus turns his gaze, and Eurydice is snatched away by Hermes, gone forever. Orpheus is doomed to relive that fateful moment, and Zimmerman also incorporates a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke which plaintively tells the story from Eurydice's point of view. The wonderful Dawson, Lawal, and Siriani Madden enact each version over and over to stunning, poignant effect.

When Ceyx (Joshua Caleb Horton) leaves Alcyone (Isabella Rooks) to conquer new lands across the ocean, she laments that he will never return. A stylized dance performed by the Oarsmen morphs into a funny, strobe lit battle against Poseidon and his Henchman, who use giant squirt guns to conquer Ceyx and his men. Rooks is particularly moving as the mournful Alcyone, especially as she uses her dress to transform into a seabird.

Myrrha (Kristina Wells) shuns suitors and Aphrodite (Lawal) who curses her to fall in love with her father Cinyras (Nate Marble). Lugering handles their disturbing relationship tastefully by having Wells and Marble perform a series of balletic liftsin the serene pool of water to represent their sexual interludes, and Wells really puts her heart out there in the role of the young nymph.

Lugering keeps the performances mostly natural and restrained so the show doesn't become too campy. Some vignettes, however, might benefit from a bit more exaggeration, such as the tale about the bullied, spoiled Phaeton (Siriani Madden) the son of sun god Apollo (Delius Doherty). Wearing sunglasses Phaeton floats on a raft as he laments his fate to his Therapist (Ashlie Elaine Carter), while Apollo comments and sings from the balcony above. It's a funny piece, and it would be nice to see the capable actors take their characters even further into camp.

The entire cast gives it their all, and includes Horton tearing up the audience in a bit as Erysichthon's Mother; Garrison K. Quizon as a creepy Hunger; Sarah Rice as wood nymph Pomona being courted by a goofy Bobby Lang as Vertumnus; and Ruliko Cronin, Kristina Wells, and Kyara Isis Williams doing good work as Narrators.

Actors dance, sing, and even play handheld percussive instruments to make "Metamorphoses" a transformative, timeless experience.

#Theatre #Review #Bennett #NCT

EMAV Review: Artfully exploring the human condition, two ensembles 'Coalesce' for UNLV Dance

★★★★☆ - Delicious

New York City based Harper Continuum Dance Theatre and Las Vegas' own Red Desert Dance Ensemble came together this past weekend to perform their intriguing and insightful concert "Coalesce," presented by UNLV Department of Dance in Dance Studio One at the Alta Ham Fine Arts. In meaningful collaboration the two contemporary dance companies take very different approaches in style and tone to an intense examination of the ways in which humans do, and also don't, manage to connect.

Their respective pieces are presented in two separate acts and include additional art forms such as poetry, spoken word, live vocalizations, and even live painting. And while the two ensembles do unite in harmonious coalescence toward the end of the concert, it's only a momentary convergence. As a whole the disparate styles don't quite blend, but contrast, perhaps, is precisely the point.

The first half of the show is shaped by the hustle and bustle of a busy city with its endless possibilities for meaningful connection. It proves the perfect landscape for the contemplative modern dance work "Strangers on the Street," a collection of ten pieces choreographed by Cathy Allen, artistic director of Red Desert Dance Ensemble. Each number is inspired by and titled after an actual photo from famous photoblog "Humans of New York," by Brandon Stanton, and subtitled with its accompanying, thoughtful text.

Opener "Passing Strangers Waiting" subtitled "The Subway on 57th street and an Artist in the Park" establishes a spiritual, almost epiphanic mood, set to the heavenly music of Kevin MacLeod and the humming of live vocalist Gary Fowler, who also recites the poetry of Walt Whitman. UNLV dance students Lonnie Chaney III, Keanna Corley, Malik Gray, Kristina Hakobyan, Dakota Jean Miller, and Lay'la Rogers perform with quiet, powerful presence and athletic grace, crafting subtle characterizations while using their bodies as imperfect instruments for emotional expression. They reach and grasp, contract and fall, tilt and hinge. They bounce as if riding on a subway train, purposefully walk in challenging patterns, and watch as Miller moves slowly with sustained poses while painter Isaac Pelayo brushes impromptu artwork upon her. A human canvas, she ultimately blends into a painting he has drawn on a wall, a fantastic effect helped by Elizabeth Kline's lighting design.

The pieces segue seamlessly one to the next, and the sinuous Gray creates a stark, beautiful stage picture during his solo "Little Boy Thinking," rolling about on a footstool with controlled, outstretched limbs and fluid movement to the percussive sounds of Adionautix. The luminous Rogers has the stirring solo "Silent Voice Reaching" in which she moves softly to a plaintive piano, slowly building momentum and strength along with the music. She adeptly conveys deep sadness, and when she was unintentionally upstaged by a group of latecomers searching for seats, she admirably maintained calm and focus. An earnest Corley effortlessly transmits a feeling of longing from her gut during her solo "Compliance," Chaney III and Hakobyan share a charming flirtation during their balletic duet "Encounter," and the entire ensemble lets loose during the playful "Samba Ensemble," pulling audience members onstage for a Latin ditty.

While Act I feels open and hopeful, Act II feels closed and repressed. With eight pieces the contemporary choreography of Heather Harper, artistic director for Harper Continuum Dance Theatre, is stylized and refined. Ian Dodge, Jordan Norton, and Amy Perkinson comprise the trio of excellent company dancers (though they weren't always in sync Friday) and appear to be classically trained, which suits Harper's often jazzy, balletic style as in "Slogging Away." Set to Moby's jarring electronica the piece feels angry, full of swinging arms, swift turns, and sharp flip lifts, the trio moving urgently as if interaction with others is a struggle.

"Cloistered" is an eerie piece set to "The Lonely Night" by Moby with dystopian voiceover of Mark Lanegan. The choreography is stark and aesthetic with the trio in spotlight center, at first slowly moving their angular arms into different shapes which carve out the space around them. They roll in spirals on the floor, do turn arabesques, and sweeping arm reaches. Claustrophobic and emotionally empty, it's almost like the three dancers represent different fragments of a person with a shattered identity.

After the dark pieces comes the light, comforting "Grounded," danced gently by Perkinson to the poem "Angels On Shoulders" by Janine Leffler in voiceover by Libby Winters, which opens the door for the ensemble to join the trio and improvisationally "Coalesce" to angelic orchestral music. Dressed in white, moving and swaying as one organism, they unite in a message of hope. But it's fleeting, because in the finale "Inscription" they exit coalescence and separate into their original groups, stripping to their undergarments as Pelayo returns to paint the ensemble, bringing the show full circle and ending how it began.

#Bennett #Dance #UNLVDance #Review