Come Fly Away (The SOB Review) - Marquis Theatre, New York, New York
* (out of ****)
That scream you heard wasn't the one from
Karine Plantadit-Bageot near the top of
Come Fly Away's tortured second act. No, it was what accompanied the loud thud of this dreadful turkey as if dropped from the sky.
Please don't get me wrong.
I've long admired choreographer
Twyla Tharp's exceptional skills beyond the world of modern dance and ballet. Her inspired movements made "
Hair" and
Movin' Out sing.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't profess to being a fan of
Frank Sinatra's incredible oeuvre that spanned the last two-thirds of the 20th Century and then some. With a silky voice and cool swagger, there's a reason why "Ol' Blue Eyes" was popular music's "Chairman of the Board."
But it's hard to imagine Sinatra wanting to sit at the head of this table. It's hardly set with any
real book (Tharp receives credits for concept and book) or captivating choregraphy. Instead, it feels as if we've gone to a bar for an after-after-after party where all the decent people have already headed home. With the exception of Marty (
Charlie Neshyba-Hodges), a forlorn waiter with eyes for one of his patrons, there's rarely any sizzle and certainly no sparkle.
Least among all the shows opening on Broadway this past year,
Come Fly Away masquerades as a musical in the way
Burn The Floor did earlier in the season. But unlike
Burn The Floor, which at the very least had cohesive, exhilarating choreography, this lackluster snoozefest never really soars, let alone takes wing.
But then again, turkeys simply can't fly very well, can they?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, Burn The Floor, Charlie Neshyba-Hodges, Choreography, Come Fly Away, Frank Sinatra, Karine Plantadit-Bageot, Musical, The SOB Review, Twyla Tharp
Burn The Floor (The SOB Review) - Longacre Theatre, New York, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)Burn The Floor? More like burn the calories.
Possessing what is surely Broadway's lowest body fat quotient per cast,
Burn The Floor's intensely high level of energy makes
Jason Gilkison's dazzling ballroom choreography breathtaking (read:
exhausting) to watch.
Perhaps Gilkison is tapping into some pent-up demand for dance extravaganzas on Broadway. After all, it's been nearly one full decade since the debut of
Contact, the last in a considerable string of choreography-heavy shows that threatened to forever redefine what constituted a Great White Way "musical" -- fortunately, they did not.
For his effort, Gilkison has added one part "
Strictly Ballroom," two parts "
Dancing With The Stars," another part "
So You Think You Can Dance," filtered out any story line and celebrity judging, then shaken it up for a fizzy concoction so intensely under pressure that it's no wonder the cork on his bottle shoots off in an explosive pop.
Speaking of those television shows, "Dancing With The Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" appear frequently among the credits for many of this unmistakably sexy cast. In fact,
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and
Karina Smirnoff from the former are billed as "special guest stars" as if from some hokey television show (they are set to depart the show on August 16). However, they're made a bit superfluous by the rest of
Burn The Floor's joyous troupe, which is at its passionate and effervescent best in the show's high octane numbers.
Yet tunes like the
Peter Cetera/
Cher hit "
After All" quickly transform whatever's chic to cheesy, giving
Burn The Floor less a whiff of the bold, new direction that Broadway has enjoyed during the last ten years than a faint stale scent from a second-tier Las Vegas showroom.
But I dare you to sit through this show and not be awed by the assembled talent and their intoxicating moves. Think "tastes great, less filling."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Burn The Floor, Jason Gilkison, Karina Smirnoff, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Musical, The SOB Review
Burning Broadway's BoardsYes, it's still illegal to shout "Fire" in a crowded theatre.
But that won't stop producer
Harley Medcalf from mounting his
Burn The Floor Ballroom dance spectacular at Broadway's
Lyceum Theatre next month for a twelve week limited engagement.
Burn The Floor comes hot on the heels of the sudden departure of
reasons to be pretty, which posted its closing notice for this Sunday after going home empty-handed from the Tony Awards.
If you're a fan of the popular
ABC television program "
Dancing With The Stars," chances are you'll enjoy this show, which mixes Ballroom and Latin dancing. The promotion for the show labels it "Ballroom dance with a sexy 21st Century edge."
Choreographed by
Anthony van Laast of
Mamma Mia! fame, the show has toured around the world, including here in the United States at Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Florida's Busch Gardens.
Medcalf provides
the history of
Burn The Floor:
The original idea of Burn the Floor came in a burst of color and energy. I was witness to a scintillating display of Ballroom and Latin dancing at Sir Elton John’s 50th birthday celebration at the Hammersmith Palais Ballroom, London in 1997. In the midst of a glamorous costumed evening, Sir Elton, the ultimate host, the party in full swing, 16 young energetic dancers mesmerized the packed room in a 10 minute dance display. For me it was just the spark of an idea then.
I was soon to meet and discover the Ballroom dance world, its people with their intensity, commitment, discipline and work ethic. These ideas would become my inspiration. It was the dancers themselves that provided the real motivation, their good nature, openness and sheer talent combined with a burning passion and love of dance.
Whether or not this burst of energy is enough to light Broadway on fire this summer remains to be seen, but as a
fellow theatre blogger quipped to me, "at least it's a tenant for the underused Longacre."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anthony van Laast, Broadway, Burn The Floor, Choreography, Dancing With The Stars, First Word On New Show, Harley Medcalf, Special Theatrical Event
