The Stage, A Brief Memoire

The legendary Twlya Tharp is a choreographer who has always been a step ahead of the dance industry her entire career. She championed the creation of art and movement outside of the theater. I spent a solid two weeks learning about this in my college choreography class, so I’m an expert. Not really, but I tell you this little fact because the traditional setting you think of when you see theater or dance has not always been the norm.

The Greek and Romans showcased their theater performances in an amphitheater, typically semi-circular structures constructed of wood or stone. (Fun fact: they have a theater like this in Arizona where I saw Hall & Oates as a teenager with my dad.) These types of theaters are what you would think of as ancient, beautiful, and giant! Some could hold 25,000 people! Sadly, Rome falls in 476 A.D. and performing arts are basically abandoned – with the exception of traveling entertainers – for something like 500 years!! It is a, literal, tragedy.

So… the church starts to dramatize biblical stories and their popularity/complexity requires them to move outside. This move reignites the theater – despite the church’s opposition to secular drama. Isn’t that ironic?! The Medieval theater was extravagant, yet typically temporary. Stages might be set on a platform with wheels or located in small buildings like halls, barns, or open air. Think Shakespeare.

There is a lot of drama that happens after the Medieval times (not the restaurant) that I will spare you from. So, some time in the eighteenth century artists travel between towns and perform in playhouses – miniature versions of the bigger theaters. The rich could pay to have seats ON THE STAGE which allowed them to showcase their prominence. I find this crazy! Could you just imagine watching some guy sit on stage and block your view of the performance?! Of course, these playhouses were made of wood and wood isn’t very sustainable so lots of them burn down or get soaked with water. Big Bad Wolf kinda stuff.

Fast forward to the nineteenth century. If you haven’t seen The Greatest Showman yet, shame on you. While I wasn’t a fan of Hugh and the scenes of dancers in shadow were lame, the non-shadowed choreography was brilliant. The music is fantastic. And the story is very interesting. Anyway, thanks to the circus, we get to see a kind of revival in the semi-circular stages of Greece and Rome.

At this same time, “traditional” theaters take their current shape and the architecture becomes an attraction as much as the performances. These beautiful ornate buildings stand tall and proud today as an ode to the past and a bridge to the future. Head down to your city’s historic theaters, take a tour, and feel the grandness wash over you.

The stage, no matter what it looks like or where it is, is a place where performers have had the chance to tell stories, express emotions, and capture the essence and spirit of life. It is a place where audiences are captivated by movement, breath, and truth. It is a vibrant place that demands the attention of its communities.

And… if you want to see what impact these theaters are making in our cities, please read this article and then support the arts and theater! https://citiesspeak.org/2017/06/09/8-ways-the-arts-can-boost-your-local-economy-strengthen-your-community/

Resources (because, let’s face it, I’m no historian):

• http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/discover-theatres/theatre-faqs/172-how-has-the-design-of-theatre-buildings-changed-over-time
• http://teachers.sduhsd.net/rpierce/ROP%20Class%20Documents/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20Theatre%20Architecture%20and%20Stage.pdf

 

 

New Year

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed your holidays and had amazing experiences with your family and friends! Many of us have personal and professional goals (or resolutions) for the new year and I don’t think the dance and arts industry should go without a few of their own… as determined by yours truly!

For Dancers:

• Be willing to be uncomfortable.
• Learn to use visual imagery to help initiate and complete movements.
• Take every opportunity and give 100%.
• Support one another – your peers and your competitors.

For the Dance Industry:

• Embrace every style.
• Keep sending us great musicals to see at the movies and on tv!
• Mandy Moore choreographing a piece to a Mandy Moore song.
• Focus on the whole self because dance class is so much more than movement.

For the Arts Industry:

• Keep fighting for arts opportunities for all!
• Embrace interdisciplinary arts (my undergraduate major, people!).
• Broaden the reach of the arts as an outlet for healing – cities, people, hearts, etc.

I am looking forward to making big steps this year personally, professionally, and as an advocate for the arts. Cheers!

Rules Of The Theatre

I would like you to think the title of this blog in a British accent.

Thank you.

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Ok, so here’s the deal. I have been to two performances recently at my city’s major performing arts center and the etiquette of my fellow patrons is leaving a sour taste in my mouth. The theatre is a sacred place… like church. We need to treat it as such. The performers deserve respect as do the 800 other people crammed in like sardines. So please…

Be On Time

I am astounded that people will pay more than $50 per seat to show up to a performance 15 minutes late! A.) What a huge waste of money.  B.) How rude!  Showing up late is rude to the performers who have dedicated hours and hours to perfecting their performance… which you incidentally miss because you didn’t leave your house on time. It is also distracting to them. Try remembering your lines while you watch a family of people not paying attention to you and shimming to their seats! And… have you thought about anyone else when you decided to stroll in late? Like the 780 of us who showed up on time, found our seats, and rifled through the program. I didn’t pay more than $50 for my seat to be blocked by your butt.

Put Your Phone Away

Before the performance or during intermission feel free to take selfies and shots of the stage. But please, don’t pull out your cell phone during a performance to snap a picture or take video. First of all, its actually a rule in most theaters that your recording devices be put away. Let’s follow some rules people. Second of all, you are risking copyright infringement. People get paid for their choreography – which is their own. And then you take an amateur video and showcase it to everyone on the internet. Now this person isn’t getting paid for these videos AND is losing ownership over their artistry and careers. Third… actors in a very dark theatre who suddenly see a bright flash are distracted. This could temporarily blind them and serious issues happen when you can’t see. Fourth… there are people out there who are not very ethical and can do lots of inappropriate things with that video! Even your precious four year old daughter at a dance competition (where you have been asked, repeatedly, not take video of dancers onstage).

See what I mean?!

Stop Talking

I love to recite lines of movies or talk about my favorite parts when I am watching them from the comfort of my living room. But to whisper, loudly, throughout an entire 45 minute section of a ballet is rude. It is rude to your neighbors and it is rude to the performers. #rude

No Babies

This might be controversial, but… the theatre isn’t really a place for babies. The music and lights alone make for an overly stimulated environment. Also, you having to leave because they cry or poop is rough on everyone.

Don’t Cat Call

It is polite to applaud. It is not polite, in the middle of a performance, to whistle or cat call. You can do all of that at the end. Be respectful of your fellow patrons, please.

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I’m stepping down from my soap box now. To lighten the mood, here is a skit from Ellen DeGeneres about movie theaters:

Watch through 4:02

Kickin’ It At Christmas

Photo: https://www.rockettes.com/history/

Let’s continue this Christmas theme (since it is Christmas-time after all!) with some chatter about some of my favorite ladies – The Rockettes!

In 1925 Russell Markert founded a chorus line in St Louis made up of 16 dancers who performed precise and uniform choreography. To complete the look dancers had to be between 5’2″ and 5’6 1/2″ and required a proficiency in tap, jazz and ballet. Known as the ‘Missouri Rockets’, the group traveled to New York City to perform and were “discovered” by some guy named S.L. “Roxy” Rothafel.

Basically Rothafel then does some showman business and in 1934 the ‘Roxyettes’ have their opening night. As you have probably discovered by now, the ‘Roxyettes’ become the Radio City Musical Hall Rockettes. They also get taller (now standing between 5’6″ and 5’10 1/2″) and grow in size (36 women per show, 80 women total). A multitude of spinoff performances have continued to attract new audiences including their infamous addition to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1957.

I basically paraphrased all of that from https://www.rockettes.com/history/. You’re welcome.

The Rockettes have become synonymous with Christmas and take to the stage every November for two months of performances – sometimes up to five performances each day! Work for Rockettes, however, starts in October where they practice for a month perfecting formations, choreography and character. Rehearsals run about eight hours a day and these ladies spend 90% of this time in heels. Yikes! Choreography includes nearly 300 kicks per show. I do like two eight counts of kicks in my BodyAttack class twice a week and I’m literally panting at the end of it. People are very impressed though.

When I was 17 I auditioned for the Rockettes. My friend and I traveled to Chicago in February (brrrrr) to sport a leotard and heels with hundreds of other women. Being 5’7″ I made the first cut, so that was nice. We then learned a quick jazz routine and performed for the judges. Being a studio-kid, I was/am used to trying to stand out in a crowd. So, I put a lot of sparkle in my Rockette choreography which, ironically, is not what the Rockettes are looking for. They are looking for uniformity and perfection. I imagine if I went to audition today, I’d have a better grasp on this process but at 17, I was clueless. Anyway, I can’t remember if I made it through the first round. Maybe I did. But my friend and I were definitely cut that day and spent day two of our trip (reserved for auditioning) being tourists in the city. I remember it smelt terrible but I enjoyed the sites.

If you’re in NYC this Christmas, I highly recommend catching the show (https://www.rockettes.com/). I haven’t actually been to New York City so I haven’t seen anything cool. It is a real tragedy. But if  you, like me, are hanging out in far less exciting places this Christmas you can still catch the show on Netflix while eating a pizza and drinking a beverage of choice!

My Review of Elf: The Musical

It is the Christmas season and what better way to kick off December than a trip to the theater. Not the movie theater, but the STAGE! Movie turned book turned musical, Elf hit the stage the Christmas season of 2010 and has been touring most seasons since. Like the movie, Elf: The Musical follows the story of Buddy The Elf as he ventures from his home in the North Pole to New York City to meet his father.

For most of us who have seen the movie, this adaptation is entertaining but not nearly as iconic. I thought much of the music and song were borrowed from other places and some of the side story lines a bit of a snoozer – like Walter’s family’s disbelief in Santa. I did enjoy some of the more adult humor as well as the cultural current-ness (definitely a word I just made up) – like Santa sporting an iPad and car alarm for his sleigh.

The vocal talents of the cast were fantastic and I enjoyed each actor having a chance to be featured. Buddy was pretty good and so was the kid that played his brother (Michael Hobbs). I thought the “Store Manager” was awesome. His real name is apparently Rendell but he kinda reminded me of Kenan Thompson (SNL – Mighty Ducks – All That). But really, the best singer was the actress who played Jovie. She had a really beautiful voice and, while not Zooey Deschanel, worthy of the role.

I can definitely say the choreography of this particular production was dumbed down. I thought it was clever for the elves to be people performing on their knees and there was some humor involved as they described their upbeat personalities in terms of “ball changes” and “jazz hands.” But the tenth time I saw a poorly executed chasse turn, pirouette, or time step… I cringed. I think the production would have been better served without technical dance. Eek! Instead, it would have been wise to have used more human movement (walking and running) in partnership with moving formations – creating visual images using space instead of technique.

Anyway, rant over. Overall, I thought Elf: The Musical was an entertaining show and brought a little Christmas cheer to my Saturday! Sometimes I have to put my critique-heavy brain to rest and just enjoy.