A Wednesday matinee, nonstop rain, many empty seats at the Met, an audience that did not know when to applaud, and didn't seem to care about applauding, either . . . Multiple elements combined to prevent today's Lane-Simkin Giselle from reaching the top-drawer level of last year. That breathless, edge-of-the-seat astonishment which was palpable at Lane's debut performance was missing today. And while a rainy day can put a damper on anything, an electric performance on stage should be able jolt a sleepy, apathetic audience utterly awake. Even during Lane's stunning Act I performance, response from the audience was so muted, it was as if they were home watching TV. I was greatly relieved to hear, finally, some applause coming from other …show more content…
She moved so very slowly, held on, and kept going, but that was the first indication to me that something was no longer the same. Then there was Simkin's trouble with the lifts - after all these years, he's still having trouble with lifts! I also noticed Lane's odd head and neck movements, but it struck me that this was part of her performance, as if she were experimenting with character nuance. Her Act II Giselle was far less of a blank-faced ghost than last year. Maybe that's not the usual classical interpretation, but Christine Shevchenko's Myrta was also very vividly emotional, a far cry from last year's much milder performance. Her astonishment at her inability to separate Albrecht and Giselle, her triumphant pleasure at forcing Albrecht to continue dancing - it was great to see how much she has grown into the role. Gabe Stone Shayer in the peasant pas de deux was a real revelation for me. His wonderful, classical lines, with movement stretching through his limbs completely, all the way out to hands and feet, his supreme musicality - this was the first time I've seen him dance this way. He landed his jumps perfectly. With the music. Perfectly. His only problem seemed to be the big toothy grin which never left his face. He and Catherine Hurlin danced very well together, but it seemed an odd pairing - on pointe, she is at least two inches taller than he
The Nutcracker, as shown in the San Jose theater, was the first professional dance performance I had ever been to and chose to go to because it was conveniently set up by the SCHS Performing Arts Program. With costumes that were elaborately designed to bring out the characteristics of each actor and actress, the overall mood of the performance was admirable. The set of the performance was spectacular; there were fog machines, smooth velvet couches, and accurate, bright lighting. Dancers were able to communicate to the audience without the usage of verbal sounds. They were able to efficiently tell a story through their facial expressions and their dramatic movements, keeping the attention of the audience throughout most of the show. There were elements that were incorporated into the dances that we had learned in our ballet unit, such as demi-plies, degages, and echappes, so it was much more interesting because we could somehow relate to the dancers.
The first act, Moon Over Jupiter, was the most challenging to interpret out of the three. This piece seemed to be about relationships, because the dancers were paired up on stage. The dancers’ facial expressions gave the impression that the dancers were experiencing intimate sentiments. The female dancers mostly did leaps, while the male partners would accompany or aid her in the air. Despite the interpretation of the dance, Dwight Rhoden, the choreographer, effectively used dynamics throughout the dance. For most of the piece the entire company was on stage, therefore Rhoden effectively used space when distributing the dancers on stage. In addition, the dancers used a lot of space vertically. In other wo...
The way he carries himself and his voice inflections really make the viewer feel like they are in the time period and can envision themselves in the scene of the play. The actor himself really seemed to believe in the play. The way he stormed out of the Ballyhoo scene, it was obvious that he was passionate about the play and really bought into the role. At other times, he spoke to everyone like a true gentleman. The kissing scene was a soft spot in the play, and he did a great job of the whole kiss and the speaking leading up to it. In addition, the actor did a great job of using a different voice in the play. Eastern European Jews were known for speaking differently that German Jews, and his voice was unique and correct for the time
The element that stood out the most to me was how effectively the music and the footwork corresponded. The best examples of this are seen through the dancers solos. Especially Albrecht's solo, his feet glide on the stage at the same tempo as the music. Similarly, Giselle's graceful footwork is truly amazing. I really like the similarities between the choreographed footwork and the music, it makes Giselle seem much more elegant and beautiful. This also seems to make the work look more put together and in sync because the dancers are dancing in harmony with the orchestra. The choreography by itself is amazing. The footwork is rapid and intricate, however, at the same time it is delicate and graceful. The ballerina (Giselle) made it look very easy to do the choreography, when it rea...
Throughout the musical, the prowess of each individual performer was on display. Every performer, with the exception of Kristine, expressed a power and vibrato that was breathtaking; the highest notes lilting and the lowest notes thundering. I was in awe during a majority of the performances because of the commanding singing in each performer.
I was actually more bothered by an earlier pas de deux in which the ballerina (Tiler Peck) is more or less manhandled by her partner (Taylor Stanley). But what really confused me about this ballet and the way it resolved these episodes was the ending when the entire cast lines up on stage and performs in unison a kind of classroom center excercise--very basic steps--while another couple (Unity Phelan and Tyler Angle) are semi-apotheosized upstage center eventually framed by the two other couples as well. This ending did not seem to me to belong to this ballet --which is full of dark and disturbing moments. At least I didn't know how to make sense of it. Unfortunately I will not have a chance to see the ballet again this run. My feelings about it are not finalized. I should say, too, that I found all of the featured dancers
The plot in this version was slightly different but flowed very well and made sense, even when it diverged from the movie version. The story is realistic because it shows that not all people are heroes even if they are not villains (ex. Link Larkin wanting to focus on his record deal). The acting was very good. Perhaps because he is the only one I know from outside of the musical, Marc Auf der Heyde as Edna Turnblad was my favorite.
performance to a major degree reflects the spirit of the times, and some of today's 'authentic' performances have less to do with historical accuracy, attempting rather to produce a performance which, in John Eliot Gardiner's words, will 'excite modern listeners.' (Sartorius)
Because the colors, lines, costumes, and movements I could tell that the artist intended for the viewers to get emotional. My overall opinion of this piece was that I liked it very much. When looking around at the audience, I could tell the artist was getting the reaction they wanted because the audience was very quiet, many people looked like they connected with this piece, and some were crying. I thought Jeffrey did especially good in this dance because he carried his moves out to the very max and displayed great emotion. The piece overall was
I am all alone at the back of the theater with my hands on the faders, my ears are warm, and my eyes fixed ahead, the curtain rises. Theater as an art form is ephemeral in nature as is most performance based pieces. That exclusivity and privilege to come to the theater engage in a communal experience is quiet profound. In 100 years, tonights performance will be just a faint memory, if that. Thats where the true beauty of it is for me; knowing that this performance is unique to each audience member as well as to me and never to be experienced again.
A mere mention of the term theatre acts as a relief to many people. It is in this place that a m...
Good afternoon Wes, This is my reply to your rebuttal. 1. I was not in your office for that long. 2. Many more issues were brought to your attention besides those three.
I originally planned to leave after the intermission, but after listening to this piece and the others, elected to stay and listen to more classical music. The movement kept me very engaged. I did not doze off or lose focus during it. The constant changes kept me on my toes, not sure what was coming next. The end was seemingly coming before a drastic change in dynamic and tempo would come in and change the perspective of the song.
On Thursday April 14, 2016 my wife and I attended University of South Carolina at Aiken’s production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in the O’Connell Theater. As we walked into to the theater the mood changed from being formal out front with the ticket takers to a more laid back beachy atmosphere inside. The theater was small but cozy, most of the attendees were dressed in very casual attire. We chose our seats on the front row, they were so close I could use the simulated golf course at a foot stool. The energy of the audience was very vibrant much like the set that towered over the stage mimicking a feel of Key West Florida.
I could only imagine how difficult it is to act in such a complex and well known piece. Luckily I had the privilege to have some of the cast in other classes and learn what they thought and felt about the production as a whole. As the performance showed, they had a pleasant educational and performing experience. Which is what educational theatre is all about! While you don’t want someone to walk away saying that “it was a cute show”, in educational theatre what really matters is what the student actors gained from the process. Have no fear, this production was far from a “cute show.” Dramas are hard to pull off; you either do a tremendous job or flunk in my opinion. Thanks to good directing an incredible team you all did phenomenal. Definitely surpassed my expectations of the