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Closing out the 46th season of the Harriman-Jewell Series, The Aluminum Show filled the Folly Theatre on Friday night, transforming it into a futuristic space with plenty of silver, glitter, and strobe lights. The Kansas City audience warmly welcomed the 10-artist touring group for their local debut.

Creator and Artistic Director Ilan Azriel’s remarkable idea to use recycled materials recovered from industrial factories was a concept not seen before. The 90-minute show loosely revolved around the story of a little machine who was trying to reunite with its parents. The protagonist was powered by robotics, while all of the other “machines” were human artists inside of large aluminum tubes.

Before the performance technically began, one of the cast members slowly walked on stage to review the pre-show basics, like a flight attendant prior to takeoff. A multitude of tubes adorned the stage floor with more hanging from the ceiling like elephant trunks. The two tubes at center stage started to glow and wiggle until they came to life—and gave birth to the tiny machine. The plot unfolds once the baby machine becomes separated from its parents and begins to search for them—getting caught up in a series of adventures, and eventually becoming friends with a human who helps in its search.

Along the way, the artists used the recycled materials to perform different acts ranging from dancing, gymnastics, and integrated movement to puppetry, robotics, and freestyle. The actual dancing was not a strong element of the performance; most impressive was the artists’ energy and commitment to the choreography. Much of the movement, outside of the dancing, was very intricate and highly dependent on timing and cooperation, which obviously took a great deal of practice.

The show was interactive throughout. At one point, performers tossed aluminum-looking blow-up pillows into the audience for crowd surfing, and toward the end, they coaxed a brave spectator onto the stage to participate. The performers continually hyped up the audience by clapping, shooting confetti, and venturing out into the seats.

The giant tube machines were an overall highlight thanks to a fun, comical routine with funky hip-hop moves. This definitely was the kind of (quality) act that could be seen on America’s Got Talent. Also noteworthy was the puppet section, during which the artists hid behind screens and moved small tubes through them to a montage of popular songs. While again the quality of the dancing was slightly disappointing, the artists were very upbeat and almost entirely in unison, both impressive for an ensemble that is constantly on the road.

Once the young machine finally met up with its parents, the show was not over, but continued with a litany of finales and reprises. Many of them were good, including an instrumental routine reminiscent of Stomp and the ensemble dance section. However, the performance eventually began to drag on a bit.

The original music, composed by Ivri Lider and Adi Goldstein, pulsated through the house, creating an infectious excitement, and also combined powerfully with the lighting and props to produce a unique audience experience.

The Folly was a fun and family-friendly locale for the troupe, though at times when the performers went out into the audience with props, it was difficult for those in the balcony to see what was happening. But overall, the unconventional show was exciting for kids that largely succeeded for its originality and interactive format.

REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series
The Aluminum Show 
Friday, May 6, 2011
Folly Theater
300 W. 12th Street, Downtown Kansas City
For more information, visit www.hjseries.org

Top Photo: Aluminum Show performer (Photo by Kfir Bolotin)

By Laura Vernaci

Dance Contributor

Laura Vernaci is a Kansas City native who has always been passionate about the arts, particularly dance. She began dance lessons at the young age of five and hasn't stopped since. She trained at the Kansas City Ballet where she became a serious dancer and learned about a professional company. 

She attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she majored in dance. She transferred to Truman State University in Kirksville, MO in 2006 and received a degree in Journalism in May 2008.  Laura spent the 2008-2009 in Duluth, MN dancing professionally for the Minnesota Ballet. She performed in productions such as, "The Nutcracker," "Cinderella" and "Coppelia" as well as world premier ballets created on the company.

She recently moved back to Kansas City and is excited to combine her experience in writing with her passion for dance. In addition to performing and writing, Laura also enjoys teaching dance and choreographing.