RSS 2.0 FeedDecember 16, 2009, Dance, Classical
KC artists make "Nutcracker" their own
Oh Hoffmann and Tchaikovsky, thank you for writing the basis for the Owen/Cox and People's Liberation Big Band to work their deranged magic upon.
A sell-out crowd at the City Stage Theater on Friday night was treated to an absolute feast for the ears and eyes with The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The Owen/Cox Dance Group and the People's Liberation Big Band of Kansas City with guest Mark Southerland proudly let their freak flags fly. Peggy Noland and Peregrine Honig's striking costume design-reminiscent of Wimmer-Ferguson high-contrast baby toys- brought whimsy, sex appeal, and menace to the production.
The music by Southerland, Jeffrey Ruckman, and Brad Cox with arrangements by Cox, Pat Conway, Jeff Harshbarger, and Forest Stewart was a demented plethora of styles based on Tchaikovsky's holiday favorite The Nutcracker. There was plenty to appease those familiar with Tchaikovsky's ballet, and music and the story was taken further by adding more of E.T.A. Hoffmann's original story, namely the story-within-a-story "Tale of the Hard Nut." Jennifer Owen's choreography was also referential to the traditional structure of solo numbers, pas de deux, and ensemble pieces with shades of Isadora Duncan and hip hop.
Lauren Fitzpatrick took the role of 'Marie' from a young girl prone to spats with her brother 'Fritz' (danced with wonderful frustration by Owen) to a young woman on the verge of adulthood. The transformation was readily apparent as her dancing became more and more refined as the piece progressed.
'The Nutcracker' was danced by the insanely bendy Randolf Ward; his turns were performed with dazzling speed and crispness.
Jennifer Owen channeled her inner sex kitten and with the help of Peregrine Honig's Lady-Gaga-in-Barbie-pink costume took the wholesome 'Sugar Plum Fairy' in a completely different direction to naughty ballerina/stripper.
Gavin Stewart and Laura Jones were paired together throughout the entire production. Their chemistry was palpable as the uptight 50s-era Ward and June Cleaver-esque father and mother to the sultry, show-stopping Arabesque pas de deux.
The sarcastic, modernized narration was performed with sardonic wit by Jeffrey Ruckman, while Cox narrated the "Tale of the Hard Nut" as 'Drosselmeier.'
Musically the most successful portions were in the second act. The Chinese dance was recontextualized as an Afro-Cuban romp and the Trepak became a vodka-infused piece for solo jublag (a Gamelan instrument). The Dance of the Mirlitons was another standout. Danced by students from the Paseo Academy it was one of the longer set pieces. The music ranged from "Woodchopper's Ball" Glenn Miller swing to street hip hop. The crowd was clearly engaged in this number and the young dancers handled it magnificently.
Even with such an enjoyable production I have three small quibbles. I found the solo choreography somewhat lacking. The ensemble numbers were complexly layered and Jennifer Owen clearly excels in that arena, yet I did not find enough variety of motion within each of the solo works. In the more gritty numbers I felt the dancers were not fully completing all their moves and some body rolls should have been dirtier. Musically, especially in the first act, I found the score too heavily reliant on the aleatoric, "go crazy" instructions. But again, small quibbles for an otherwise thoroughly engaging performance.
Oh Hoffmann and Tchaikovsky, thank you for writing the basis for Owen/Cox and PLBB to work their deranged magic upon.
REVIEW:
Owen/Cox Dance Group and The People's Liberation Big Band of Kansas City
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
Friday, December 11, 2009
Union Station: H&R Block City Stage Theater
www.owencoxdance.org and www.myspace.com/plbb
Top photo: Lauren Fitzpatrick & Laura Jones. Photo Charles Stonewall.
Editor-in-Chief; Traditional and New Classical Contributor
Lee Hartman holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (D.M.A., M.M.) and the University of Delaware (B.M.). At the University of Delaware, he received a Dean's Scholar position enabling him to pursue an individually designed academic program combining music education and composition. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City he served for three years as the Assistant Director to Musica Nova, the conservatory's new music ensemble, while teaching a variety of composition classes.
In 2007 he was invited to both the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland and the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China to give lectures and master classes in composition. In the summer of 2009, Hartman served as an orchestra manager for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Opera Theater Center for various performances. He serves on the National Executive Committee of the Society of Composers, Inc. as Submissions Coordinator. His primary composition instructors include James Mobberley, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, John Beall, and Jennifer Margaret Barker. He currently teaches music theory at the University of Central Missouri and general music classes at Park University having previously taught at UD (2007–08) and UMKC (2006–07).
His compositions can be found at http://www.leehartmanmusic.com
All material contained in KCMetropolis.org is the property of or licensed for use by KCMetropolis.org. Any use, duplication, or reproduction of any or all content of this publication is prohibited except with the express written permission of KCMetropolis.org or the original copyright holders.