Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Flamenco enflames Gala



Edwin Aparicio in Salvador at Gala Hispanic Theatre/photo by Daniel Martinez
Mariana Gatto-Duran in Salvador at Gala Hispanic Theatre/photo by Daniel Martinez


The entrancing story, Salvador, presented by the Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company, is based on the life of choreographer and artistic director, Edwin Aparicio which debuted five years ago at Gala Hispanic Theatre.


Its revival this month with Mr. Aparicio, the company's founder, is one of two shows at Gala for the 17th annual Fuego Flamenco Festival, a celebration co-founded by Mr. Aparicio.

Today and tomorrow the flamenco menu includes De paso by the Sara Perez Dance Company with Rubén Puertas, prize winner of Madrid’s prestigious Certamen of Dance competition.
Edwin Aparicio dances his life's story in Salvador at Gala Hispanic Theatre/photo by Daniel Martinez


Salvador opens in the 1980s in El Salvador where Mr. Aparicio lived as a child amidst gangs and soldiers who often kidnapped children to mold them into soldiers.

After his parents leave for the U.S., he's left in the care of his grandmother, his only solace to provide him comfort amidst the dangers on the streets and it's to her, his other grandmother, and those of the co-director, Aleksey Kulikov, that Salvador is dedicated.

Act I ends with Mr. Aparicio's gradual exit from the stage while his life resumes as a young Edwin (danced by Ricardo Osorio Ruiz). A distressing separation from his grandmother, reminding the audience of their own painful farewells from loved ones, unfolds as the boy departs to join his parents.

Life in Washington, D.C., their residence, was hardly any better for the youngster. His family's Mt. Pleasant community erupts in a 1981 riot of cultural war and property destruction.

Dance offers young Edwin some respite, but he is told he doesn't look the part of a ballet dancer, but suddenly, the doors to flamenco open.

He heads to Spain which opens the third and final act. There, he trains with renowned teachers before his debut in Madrid in 2001. 

Over time Mr. Aparicio dances countless solos on stages throughout the U.S. and performs major roles with the Washington National Opera and the Washington Ballet.  Today, Mr. Aparicio is a faculty member of the Washington School of Ballet. He is the founder of the Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company and received the Cross of the Order of Civil Merit in 2015 from King Felipe VI of Spain.

All through Salvador, large photographs from the era are posted high on the backdrop to help lay the foundations of Aparicio's life.

In colorful attire, six female flamenco dancers with sexy looks matching their motions, embellish Aparicio's life with heels beating on the floor to become another musical instrument in the orchestra of four. 

Those four almost steal the show with their strong, unrelenting voices and music of the time.

Amparo Heredia and percussionist and singer, Francisco Orozco cry the anguish of Aparicio throughout the performance while Richard Marlow strums his guitar without pause.

Gonzalo Grau, a two-time Grammy nominee and Salvador's musical director and composer, plays keyboard.

For the finale, Aparicio pairs with his younger self (Ruiz) to dance. 

After the ending, when all the performers and orchestra members came to the stage for audience accolades last weekend, co-artistic director Kulikov joined the dance party and showed how he could stomp his heels and shake a tail feather, too, for the delight of all.

Production staff included P. Vanessa Losada, production manager and light board operator; Rachael Sheffer, interim production manager; Delbis Cardona, production assistant; Devin Mahoney, technical director with Steve Cosby, Renegade Productions; Christopher Annas-Lee, lighting with Hailey LaRoe; Brandon Cook, sound; Kevin Alvarenga and Joel Galvez, house managers.

Sona Kharatian, Washington Ballet, was the ballet choreographer.

Dancers: Cosima Amelang, Mariana Gatto-Duran, Catherina Irwin, Sara Jerez Marlow, Dana Shoenberg, Kyoko Terada.

Guest dancers: Noura Sander, Washington Ballet, and Anna Menendez, flamenco teacher
At the end of the night, co-directors Edwin Aparicio, left, and Aleksey Kulikov celebrated flamenco at Gala Hispanic Theatre/photo by Patricia Leslie


What: XVII Fuego Flamenco Festival

Masks: Masks and proof of vaccination or recent negative COVID test required for all performances.

When: Saturday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.

Where: Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010.

Tickets: $48; $35 for seniors (65+), military, and students; $35, group sales (10 or more); $25 ages 25 and under. To purchase, call (202) 234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.

Handicapped accessible

Duration: About two hours with one intermission

Metro stations: Columbia Heights is one block away or get off at McPherson Square, take bus #52 or #54 
up 14th, or, instead of the bus, walk two miles, save money and expend calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.

Parking: With Gala's validation, a flat rate of $4 is available at Giant grocery around the corner or pay $1.50/hour at the Target nearby.

For more information: Call (202) 234-7174 and/or email info@galatheatre.org

Thursday, June 10, 2021

GALA's 'Tango' is out-of-this-world

Rosalía Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos/Their photo


There's no need for dance lovers to travel to Tokyo this summer since GALA Hispanic Theatre brings the Olympics of dance to Washington with astonishing  performances by professional tangoists, musicians and the costumer, Jeanette Christensen. 

Who needs a script when music, dazzling dance, and dress carry you to fantasyland? Like the swirling dancers, the music and costumes combine in Ella es tango to present an electrifying tango show.
Marcos Pereira and Florencia Borgnia/ Photo, Daniel Martinez

GALA's founding producing artistic director, Hugo Medrano, has written an original musical revue (that he directs) about some of last century's female composers/vocalists/tangoists who competed in the male-dominated world to make themselves seen and heard so they could advance in their chosen profession, even disguising themselves as men (not the first - nor the last - time this has been attempted).

Mariana Quinteros and Patricia Torres are the duo of  top vocalists in the show whose best melodies are their duets. 
Marcos Pereira and Florencia Borgnia/Photo, Daniel Martinez

The featured ladies are portrayed by GALA company members, Lorena Sabogal as Libertad Lamarque (1908-2000), Krystal Pou as Camila Quiroga (a fictional character); Patricia Suarez is Tita Merello (1904-2002), Cecilia Esquivel is Azucena Maizani (1902-1970), and the brief biography of another tango artist, Mercedes Simon (1904-1990), is included. 

In song and dance they tell us their sad stories to present what we came to see and to hear.
Rosalía Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos/Photo, Daniel Martinez


The dancing is what brought us to the spectacle and it, combined with music by members of the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, perform in tandem with the script to captivate the magic and allure of the night to star. 

World acclaimed choreographers and teachers, Alejandro and Rosalía Barrientos are the dancers accompanied at times by Marcos Pereira and Florencia Borgnia, world tango championship finalists, who have many of their own solos.

Swirling tails, dresses, legs, and arms flash by, leaving astonished theatregoers in their wake, happy to witness magnificence.

The numerous shimmering, glittering costumes alone make the price of admission well worth the cost, and it's not just the females who come dressed to kill: The men's costumes are equally as outstanding in their glimmering jackets and ballroom tuxedo whites.


Musical direction and orchestration are by Sergio Busjle of the PASO; conducting is Argentine composer Ariel Pirotti; choreography is by the Barrientoses; and texts are by Argentine playwright, Patricia Suárez Cohen. 

Claudio Gustavo Aprile, the assistant director, appears in various male roles.

Other creative team members are Clifton Chadick and Exquista Agonía, scenic design;  Christopher Annas-Lee, lighting; Dylan Uremovich, projections; Nicolas Onischuk, additional media; David Crandall, sound; P. Vanessa Losada, stage manager; and Tony Koehler, production manager.

Ella es tango is presented in Spanish with English subtitles. 


WhatElla es tango (She is tango)

Masks:  Required.  Temperatures taken at the entrance.

When: Now through June 20, 2021, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. with open milonga dancing after the show on Wednesday, June 16.

Where: Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010.

Tickets:
 $45; $30 for seniors (65+), military, and students; $30, group sales (10 or more). To purchase, call 
(202) 234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org

Handicapped accessible

Duration: About two hours with one intermission

Metro stations: Columbia Heights or McPherson Square and take a bus or the Circulator from McPherson Square up 14th, or walk two miles and save money and expend calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.

Parking: Discounted at the Giant around the corner and additional parking at Target, both on Park Road, NW.

For more information: Call (202) 234-7174 and/or email info@galatheatre.org

The production was made possible with support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

patricialesli@gmail.com


Wednesday, June 5, 2019

'Singin' (and dancin') in the Rain' in Herndon


The cast of Singin' in the Rain at NextStop Theatre Company/Photo by Lock and Company

Gotta dance!  Gotta dance! 

He sings and skips and tap dances through the rain water in Herndon, happy and "in love."

Folks, that's real water pouring on his head, just like in the movie!

Applause to the technical director who accomplished this feat  in Singin' in the Rain now playing at NextStop Theatre Company.

The dancing and choreography are the stars in this production, based on the classic 1952 movie with Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and Gene Kelly.  

NextStop's show is choreographed by one of its own stars, Robert Mintz, who plays the boyish "Cosmo" in a role which binds the story with his silly antics and smiles while he twirls, hops, and dances across the floor, and he plays trombone. 

Continuing their string of hits at NextStop and other theatres in the DMV are Max Doolittle, lighting designer, and Evan Hoffman, Herndon High graduate, who directs and designed the set.

It's an elevated stage on a stage in this 1920s Hollywood show with colored lights and a massive red curtain which opens from time to time to reveal the backstage and action there: the dressing gowns, ladders, actors conversing, and all necessary accoutrements that go into a big production like this one.

The plot involves a villainess, the screechy, possessive Ms. Lina Lamont (Carolyn Burke) who hangs on to her beau, a Hollywood star, Don Lockwood (Wood van Meter).  Despite her catlike howls (which could be softened a bit), Ms. Burke is a lady of confidence and assurance whose slithery mannerisms effectively exaggerate her character and make her more unlikable.

It works!

Her goal is to make Don succumb to her wiles, despite his affinity for a new girlfriend, the cute, adorable, and innocent Kathy Selden (Morgan Kelleher), who pops out of a cake!

This being the age of transition from silent films to talkies, Ms. Selden's voice becomes Ms. Lamont's who can't talk for screeching.   

Do you get the picture? 

Scene stealers are the constantly smiling and conniving Zelda (Melrose Pyne Anderson), who plays another starlet, and "R.F." Simpson (Duane Monahan) with his powerful, deep d.j. voice who is the studio head, ostensibly calling the shots.

Eight actors dance and sing across the small stage and magically seem to enlarge the floor space. The audience gets a hand in, too.

Sitting in an elevated window overlooking the action is the bouncy music director, Elisa Rosman, who plays keyboards with alternating drummers Alex Aucoin and Glenn Scimonelli

Moyenda Kulemeka has designed beautiful gowns and apparel for the times.


The Broadway play, which was directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, followed the movie by 33 years and lasted about a year, but Wikipedia says the movie is regarded by some as the best film comedy ever made, and it is listed as the fifth greatest American movie of all time.

If you miss the Herndon show, you can see the film July 10 at West End Cinema

Other NextStop cast members are Elizabeth Spikes, Ethan Van Slyke and swings, Suzy Alden and Joseph McAlonan.

Creative staff also includes Hollyann Bucci, assistant director; Kevin Alexander, sound; Laura Moody, stage manager; Amelia McGinnis and Kate York, assistant stage managers; Alex Wade, properties; and Dylan Lambert, choreography assistant.

Until July 1 NextStop offers deep discounts on next season's shows starting at $119 for six performances.  Go here or call 866-811-4111 for information. 

What: Singin' in the Rain by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed

When: Now through June 23, 2019, Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and a Sunday evening show on June 16 at 7 p.m.

Where: NextStop Theatre Company, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, VA 20170 in the back right corner of Sunset Business Park, near the intersection of Spring Street/Sunset Hills Road. Right off the Fairfax County Parkway. Lots of great restaurants nearby.

Lighted, free parking:
Available near the door.

Admission: General admission tickets start at $40. Buy online or through the box office at 866-811-4111.


Duration: About two hours with one intermission

Rating: G


Refreshments:  Available and may be taken to seats

For more information:
703-481-5930 or info@nextstoptheatre.org

patricialesli@gmail.com




Friday, July 6, 2018

Extended! Olney's 'On the Town' is merry must-sea!

 















From left, Robert Mintz (Ensemble), Lance E. Hayes (Ensemble), and Rhett Guter (Gabey) in On the Town at Olney Theatre Center/Photo: Stan Barouh 

Amidst these days (and weeks, sigh) of turmoil, conflict and depressing news, who doesn't need a fantastic escape?

On the Town at the Olney Theatre Center arrives at the right time with sets, costumes, and songs from the 1940s to make you happy.  (Well, it made me so happy, had I not been seated midway in the row, I might have bolted right up on stage and become a dancer meself!
 Claire Rathbun (Ivy) and Rhett Guter (Gabey) in On the Town at Olney Theatre Center/Photo: Stan Barouh

Three sailors come to New York on 24-hour leave in search of women and excitement. (You were expecting something less than romps, laughs, sex, and more?) On the Town is an hilarious trip with music, lots of dancing, and non-stop action.

The sailors set off on a journey to find THE girl whose picture Gabey (Rhett Guter) has seen plastered in advertisements, the winner of the "Miss Turnstiles" competition (huh?). Gabey has fallen in love with a photo, but never mind. Can he find her? 

And can his buddies help?  They start a hot chase.
 From left, Evan Casey (Chip), Sam Ludwig (Ozzie), Rhett Guter (Gabey), and Bobby Smith (Bill Poster) in On the Town, now playing at Olney Theatre Center/Photo: Stan Barouh

Along the way they stumble (surprise!) upon  adventure, becoming entangled in rollicking scenes with dancing and song.

Chip (Evan Casey) finds a taxi driver, Hildy (Tracey Lynn Olivera) who has lots of "fares" on her mind  (Come Up to My Place), and she can cook!

It doesn't take long for Chip, the initially reluctant participant in this scheme, to join goal tending until the couple is rudely interrupted by Hildy's conservative roommate, Lucy (Suzanne Lane), a mousy creature and dressed for the role par excellence.  (Rosemary Pardee's many 1940s costumes are rainbows of pastels and designs, adding more allure to the visuals. In real-life, Chip and Hildy are a happily married couple whose stage passions leave one in awe of the chemistry on display.)    

Then there is flash and dash Claire DeLoone (Rachel Zampelli) who teams up with Sailor #3, Ozzie (Sam Ludwig) in-between trying to placate her  "understanding" husband (Bobby Smith in one of seven (!) roles he plays). 

The show has many standouts, and my favorites were those with multiple roles, perhaps because they were on stage more often:  Bobby who, towards the end, makes you happy seeing him appear since you know guffaws lie ahead, "darling," and Donna Migliaccio, 
fresh from a real-life stage in New York, and her six (!) roles here. (My fav was the old lady and her mannerisms and "Style 7" walking, but where is a grumpy old man?)
 
Perhaps the elevations and descents of various entertainers center stage doing their solo performances are a bit overdone, and the lacklustre title really needs some work, but director Jason Loewith, Olney's artistic director, commands excellent performances of all, and never a dull moment passes by.   

The numerous scenes (by Court Watson) transform in a whirl, and what appears to be minimalist props are deceptive for scenes are mean to complement, not distract from the script.

The effects and Roc Lee's sounds magnify the  "New York, New York" experience with brakes screeching, horns going off and subway rides which sway and lurch, rocking passengers forwards, sideways, and into others. 

Live music always makes a more enjoyable performance and Christopher Youstra's baton enriches the show with the big band sounds of 14 musicians onstage playing 17 instruments, the largest orchestra in Olney's history. (None of the vocalists are ever drowned out.)

Choreography by Tara Jean Vallee is stunning, and at times I found myself labeling it a "musical ballet," and it was based on Jerome Robbins' ballet,  Fancy Free. 
 
Claire Rathbun's skill as a ballerina (formerly with the Washington Ballet) is apparent in her role as Ivy, "Miss Turnstiles," particularly during the deux pars de deux when she and Gabey dance elegantly back to back, gliding across the floor, hugging stage corners and "ignorant" of the other's presence while the ensemble enters the stage from right, from left, to mingle and spin a partner, logistics which prevent "the" couple from ever laying eyes on each another.
      
From stem to stern, this is another shipshape production for the regional celebration of Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday in Olney's 80th season (and Director Loewith's 50th) which continues to strengthen the theatre's reputation as a delightful locale for live entertainment. 

It's just another 24-hour day.  Whatcha gonna do with yours?  Tempus fugit.

Rounding out the cast are Ian Anthony Coleman, Ashleigh King, Amanda Kaplan, Claire Rathbun, Alan Naylor, Connor James Reilly, Shawna Walker, Jennifer Flohr, Lance E. Hayes, Robert Mintz (also, dance captain), Ron Tal, Taylor J. Washington, Ronald Bruce, and Emily Madden.

Other members of the creative team are Colin K. Bills, lighting; Alexandra Pohanka, wigs and hair; Zach Campion, dialects; John Keith Hall, production stage manager; Dennis A. Blackledge, production; and Debbie Ellinghaus, managing director. 

What: On the Town with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics, Betty Comden and Adolph Green
 
Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832.
 

When: Extended! Now through July 29, 2018, Wednesday through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., Wednesday matinees July 11 and July 18 at 2 p.m., a sign-interpreted performance Thursday, July 12 at 8 p.m., and an audio-described performance, Thursday, July 19 at 8 p.m. There is no performance Saturday night, July 28.

.
Talkbacks:  After matinees, July 7, July 14, July 21 

Tickets: Begin at $42 with discounts for groups, seniors, military, and students.

Ages: Recommended for ages 11+ due to mild sexuality. The Olney rates it "PG."

Duration: Two hours and one 15 minute intermission

Refreshments: Available and may be taken to seats

Parking: Free and plentiful on-site

For more information
: 301-924-3400 for the box office or 301-924-4485

patricialesli@gmail.com