Leah Napolin, 83

Leah Napolin, Whose ‘Yentl’ Adaptation Made Broadway, Dies at 83
by Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times, May 15, 2018

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Jan Maxwell, 61

Jan Maxwell, Celebrated Stage Actress, Is Dead at 61
by Anita Gates, The New York Times, February 12, 2018

Jan Maxwell Was a Star Made for the Stage
by Ben Brantley, The New York Times, February 13, 2018

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Gemze de Lappe, 95

Gemze de Lappe, 95, Dies; Keeper of the Agnes de Mille Flame
by Richard Sandomir, The New York Times, November 17, 2017

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Dancemaker Amanda Selwyn: What makes us human

Amanda Selwyn
(photo courtesy Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre)

Scenes from a studio preview of Refuge
by Amanda Selwyn
Above: Adam Dickerson
Below: Robert Moore
(photos: Nir Arielli)

As she prepares for her November 2nd opening of Refuge at Brooklyn's Mark Morris Dance Center, choreographer Amanda Selwyn meditates on...


...the impact of working with her dancers on this new piece:

There was one short rehearsal we had in which we developed some of the core and iconic motifs from the piece that resonate strongly from this entire process.  It was a cold winter day, and we were in a tiny studio at Gibney Dance on Canal.  Our usual studio space was unavailable. So I had to scrounge for space and, as a result, we had a shorter rehearsal in this tiny studio later than I like to work. 

All that said, magic happened in those two hours.  We explored a movement pattern that mapped out four walls around each dancer.  These walls celebrated different parts of identity.  On each surface--like in a childhood bedroom where one pastes, on the wall, posters and clippings, a collage of inspiration and celebration--each of these four walls was a movement mosaic of different sides of ourselves.  We worked in a progressive way as we often do, not pausing to evaluate or judge the creative results, but listening to the body as it moved in space, and trusting what erupted organically.

I had the dancers repeat the sequence again and again and add on new gestures, new brushstrokes painting their landscapes onto the walls of their lives.  From the creative work in this one short rehearsal, so many core shapes and gestures evolved.

These gestures have since been developed into full body motion, locomotion through space, partner work, solos and large group sections.  The impact of this one rehearsal is what brings me back to my creative process with new vigor each day--the ability to trust the work, trust the interplay between me and my dancers, the refinement of each moment happening organically over time as we truly trust the movement in the moment.

...a personal experience that has influenced how she approaches her work:

There are so many things that are strong influences on my work. My yoga practice and global travels have had a significant impact.  They both continually bring me back to living in the present moment, listening to intuition, practicing being where I am at instead of always trying to be three steps ahead, having a sense of faith and adventure, and trusting the work. In the day to day frenzy of being an artist living in New York City, I need the daily grounding from yoga, and my periodic journeys to take me out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons to find new inspiration.

In recent years, I have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, trekked in Peru to Machu Pichu, traveled through remote islands in the Philippines, and visited Israel several times where I speak the language from having lived there in my 20s.

Another personal experience that has significantly influenced my work was my time at Jacob’s Pillow.  Aside from having my work presented twice on the Inside/Out Stage where we performed in the glory of the Berkshire mountains and the amazing community of dance appreciators that make up their audiences, I also participated in an eight-day Choreographer’s Lab Intensive Program in 2008.  For these eight days, we did not focus on creating work, but rather unpacking, exploring and rebooting how we create work.  We were asked to go deep into ourselves, draft an artist statement through text, movement, dialogue and experience.  The relationships I built that week and the collection of moments resonant in my process since that time in a profound way, giving me a sense of purpose, rootedness and a community of support to turn to in those many difficult moments.

...how dance--as exemplified by Refuge--contributes to current conversations in society

In this work, I aim to connect with what makes us human, our universal search for grounding, safety and security.  From there, we seek fulfillment--meaning and purpose, expression and truth.  In this time of political and environmental strife, so much is uncertain.  I see dance as a way to empower the storytellers of our time not simply by the allegory of the dance itself, but in its dialogue with the audience.  Dance, using the language of the body and movement, speaks a truth that is universal, immediate and tangible.  As our society advances with technology, there are, increasingly, more and more opportunities to disconnect.  Dance revels in connection.  It pulses with touch, physicality and emotion.  Dance activates a canvas of ideas, truths and passions.  In my work, I aim to celebrate community, humanity and citizenship.  I do not attempt to tell a linear story or unveil new truths with Refuge, but rather to illuminate signposts that raise questions so that audiences can make meaning for themselves.

For information on the November 2-4 World Premiere season of Refuge, click here.

Mark Morris Dance Center
3 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
(directions)

*****   

Amanda Selwyn founded Notes in Motion/Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre in 2000 and has directed over 50 productions, developed a network of artists, and created the curriculum for Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre’s arts-in- education programs. Amanda’s choreographic works include Refuge, It’s a Game, Detour, Five Minutes, Passage, Undercurrent, Hearsay, Interiors, Disturbance, Salut, Tilt, Tidal, Shift, Siren, Contradicting Unity, Save My Spot, Hold On, Momentum, and Behind Us. She has choreographed dance for Chicago’s Motivity, a collective of modern choreographers; for theatre productions including House on Mango Street, Free to be You and Me, Once Upon a Mattress, The Wiz, Little Shop of Horrors, and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory; and for her original theatre productions, which include Herland, Yellow Feather, and Slitting the Clouds.

In addition to her choreographic work, Amanda has directed off-Broadway theatre in NYC at John Houseman Studio, 30th Street Theatre, Grove Street Theatre,  Kraine Theatre, Center Stage, and the Producer’s Club. Amanda teaches dance and theatre to New York City children and has been on the faculty at independent schools. She is the recipient of grants from the NY State Council on the Arts, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, the Friars Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Community Arts Fund, Bronx Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund, and the Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation.


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Brenda Lewis, 96

Brenda Lewis, Versatile American Soprano, Is Dead at 96
by Margalit Fox, The New York Times, September 16, 2017

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Michael Friedman, 41

Michael Friedman, Co-Creator of ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,’ Dies at 41
by Michael Paulson, The New York Times, September 10, 2017

Michael Friedman, Composer of Broadway’s ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,’ Dies at 41
Thom Geier, The Wrap, September 9, 2017

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Barbara Cook, 89

Barbara Cook, Broadway Star Who Became a Cabaret Mainstay, Dies at 89
by Robert D. McFadden, The New York Times, August 8, 2017

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Willa Kim, 99

Willa Kim, Designer of Fanciful Costumes, Dies at 99
by Anita Gates, The New York Times, December 28, 2016

George S. Irving, 94

George S. Irving, Tony Winner and Voice of Heat Miser, Dies at 94
by Richard Sandomir, The New York Times, December 29, 2016

Dick Latessa, 87

Dick Latessa, Winner of a Tony for ‘Hairspray,’ Dies at 87
by Richard Sandomir, The New York Times, December 20, 2016

Florence Henderson, 82

Florence Henderson, Upbeat Mom of ‘The Brady Bunch,’ Dies at 82
by Anita Gates, The New York Times, November 25, 2016

Sutton Foster: fun, laughs, good times...and something more

Broadway's golden girl, Sutton Foster, has become Neil Simon's refugee of the heart, Charity Hope Valentine. And all the reasons some critics felt disappointed with The New Group's approach to Simon's fifty-year-old phenom, Sweet Charity, are reasons I admire it.

Scaled back, toned down and set in 3/4-round, small-theater intimacy that finds jaded dance hall girls and their clientele looming over the first few audience rows, this Sweet Charity feels like a musical for the sobering times we're suddenly living in. You surely expected fun, laughs, good times only to get this bucket of cold water thrown in your face.

I came for the brilliant Cy Coleman/Dorothy Fields tunes that, decades ago, took up permanent residence in my brain--"Big Spender," "If My Friends Could See Me Now," "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This," "Baby, Dream Your Dream" and, especially as later socked home by Streisand, "Where Am I Going?" Even with the poignant re-positioning of one of those songs, they hit the mark again as rendered by Georgia Stitt's all-women, five-member band and director Leigh Silverman's sturdy, versatile, multicultural cast.

I'm a downtown gal, much more accustomed to close-up performance than being set back behind an invisible screen with action unfolding at a far remove. Sitting in the 200-seat arrangement, I liked being able to see what was in these characters' eyes--the dead or dying souls, particularly--and how hard the actors worked for this show. I felt privileged to witness a top-of-her-game performance from Foster--my first time--who owns every single twisty complexity of her character and her show.

Unlike some of her co-workers, Charity maintains moral lines she won't cross. Yet, in her ever-hopeful quest and desperation for love, she's easy pickings for exploitative men. Yet, in the right situation, she can show a crafty, even tough side. Yet, she breaks just like a little girl, shielding that quirky, sparkly grin and lively, hungry, intelligent eyes. And yet. And yet. Foster--in some mind-boggling integration of Carol Burnett and Jane Fonda happening right before our eyes--manages to master every bit of this. I came late to fandom, but I now adore her and would follow her to any stage.

As panicky Oscar, Shuler Hensley is so viscerally good--and adorably hilarious--in the stuck-elevator scene that he began to make me feel claustrophobic. (Okay, maybe the Linney Theatre really is a little small...). I also enjoyed the smooth subtleties in Joel Perez's work as movie star Vittorio Vidal but liked him even more when, as the usually loutish dance hall owner Herman, he suddenly reveals how much he loves to cry at weddings.

Sweet Charity leaves Herman, and the rest of us, with something to cry about all right. It feels unexpected, unimaginable, all wrong and...yeah...familiar.

Sweet Charity's run has been extended through January 8. Get information and tickets here.

The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre
at The Pershing Square Signature Center
480 West 42nd Street, Manhattan
(map/directions)

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LC Fest: Japan's Takarazuka Revue takes on "CHICAGO"

Started by a railway magnate in 1914 to attract tourists to the hot springs town of Takarazuka, the all-female Takarazuka Revue has grown into a true cultural phenomenon, with a devoted fan base that clamors for the company’s sparkling adaptations of classic Western and Japanese stories, movies, and plays, and a cultural influence that extends into the realms of anime and manga.

--from "Takarazuka: A History"

Granted, I did not have the best vantage point for Japan's Takarazuka CHICAGO, seated near the rear of the Koch Theater's hall (my bad, I guess, for waiting too late to try for a press ticket). From there, I could see, very well, that Takarazuka Revue's cast--nearly all women, often taking male roles--had brought their sharpest knives to the Fosse (via Ann Reinking) banquet. But I couldn't make out facial expressions or the subtleties of gaze and body talk that usually connect and even bond me to performers and the characters they play. I struggled to recover some sense of the 1975 Kander-Ebb-Fosse musical I had seen and enjoyed only in its 2002 movie version. It didn't help to have to continually aim my gaze nearly to the ceiling, away from those distant faces, to catch whatever English supertitles I could catch. I felt lost and got lost more often than I'd care to admit.

At the outset, the CHICAGO of Takarazuka CHICAGO seemed sluggish. Post-intermission, though, it took on a certain charge, and I did get a kick out of Saori Mine (playing flashy, celebrated celebrity lawyer Billy Flynn) and the moxie of foxy Roxie Hart (played by Hikaru Asami) and Velma Kelly (Yoka Wao), our two vaudeville-era lady killers. But I did not really start rooting for Takarazuka Revue until the hard-working performers lowered the curtain on CHICAGO and gifted us with one their famous encores, a show in itself.

To Takarazuka Revue, "encore" does not mean one or two quick, rousing sendoffs. Oh no. It means a string of numerous songs, each a mini-production with different performers, about twenty minutes more of material--Takarazuka's own material, this time, and what material! Glittering light effects sweeping the theater's walls and ceiling; sexy, romantic tangos between women dressed to the nines; Vegas showgirl feather costumes and Rockettes-style lineups. It's also fun to notice how audience members, many of them Japanese or Japanese-American, recognize and hail specific players as they take the stage for their encore segments.

As I giddily discussed this, via Facebook app, with a Takarazuka fan who has seen the troupe in Japan, we hit on the same explanation for why these encores slay. It's really hard to separate how gaudily over-the-top they are from the exquisite technical excellence of the performances. Your brain instinctively says, "Wait, no. I can't believe this," but you're grinning. Confections coming after the dark meal of CHICAGO, they feel like acts of sincere generosity, feel-good rewards and guilty pleasures. Each number is bite-sized but packs a lot of calories, and everyone goes away richly fed.

The North American premiere run of Takarazuka CHICAGO continues at Lincoln Center Festival through Sunday. Remaining shows are:

Friday, July 22, 7:30
Saturday, July 23, 2:00
Saturday, July 23, 8:00
Sunday, July 24, 2:00

Note: The show runs roughly three hours with one intermission.

Get information and tickets here.

David H. Koch Theater
20 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
(map/directions)

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John McMartin, 86

John McMartin, ‘Sweet Charity’ Star, Dies at 86
by William Grimes, The New York Times, July 7, 2016

Julius La Rosa, 86

Julius La Rosa, Singer Who Was Fired on the Air by Arthur Godfrey, Dies at 86
by Robert D. McFadden, The New York Times, May 15, 2016

Elizabeth Swados, 64

Elizabeth Swados, Creator of Socially Conscious Musicals, Is Dead at 64
by William Grimes, The New York Times, January 5, 2016

Leon Bibb, 93

Leon Bibb, Actor, Folk Singer and Civil Rights Activist, Dies at 93
by William Grimes, The New York Times, October 26, 2015

Daniel Levins, 62

Daniel Levins teaching at Ballet Tech
(photo: Jim Varriale)

My gratitude to Audrey Ross for sharing this sad news on the passing of the multifaceted dance artist Daniel Levins.

***

DANIEL LEVINS (1953-2015)

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Daniel Levins of a lung infection on September 15, 2015 in New York City.   Raised in the Adirondack Mountain area of New York State, Daniel began Irish and tap dancing lessons at age five, and initiated his performing career with a touring carnival at age nine.   His dance studies continued in the Vaganova and Graham traditions at the High School of Performing Arts, and in the Cecchetti and Imperial Russian Ballet School traditions with Vincenzo Celli, Barbara Fallis, Vera Nemchinova, and Richard Thomas in NYC.

 In 1969, at age fifteen, Levins became a charter member of Eliot Feld's American Ballet Company for its debut at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.  He joined American Ballet Theatre in 1971, where his versatility actuated leading roles in works by Tudor, Balanchine, de Mille, Robbins, Fokine, Ailey, Neumier and others, as well as the classics.  Noted for his performances within the dramatic repertory, Mr. Levins rose to the rank of Principal Dancer at age eighteen.

Joining New York City Ballet in 1975, Levins danced under Balanchine and Robbins until a chronic knee condition forced his retirement from the ballet stage one year later.

 Mr. Levins also appeared in films, TV and stage productions, including Turning Point, Grease, Red Badge of Courage, Goodbye Girl, The Waltons, and Street Scene with New York City Opera.   He choreographed musical theater productions of Miss Liberty and Bloomer Girl for Goodspeed Opera House, Brimstone for Stockbridge Theater and the workshops of Hal Prince and Musical Theater Works, and directed and choreographed productions for the Smithsonian Institute, the King Cole Loves Broadway series at the St. Regis hotel as well as Off-Broadway productions of Oh Boy!, The Gorey Details and Amphigorey, which received an Obie nomination for best musical.
 His ballets have appeared in the repertories of American Ballet Theater, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Oklahoma, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Universal Ballet, Seoul Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, and Ballet's Galaxy of Stars.

 Mr. Levins began his teaching career in 1974 at Barbara Fallis and Richard Thomas' New York School of Ballet, and has taught and coached for ballet companies and schools, universities and colleges, as well as Broadway music theatre productions.  He was a longtime master teacher at Eliot Feld's Ballet Tech, which remarked that "he imbued generations of students with his passion for the rigor, technique, epaulement, elegance and continuity of classical ballet.  Yes, part of him goes on in those he trained."

--Audrey Ross

Will Holt, 86

Will Holt, Who Wrote ‘Lemon Tree’ and for the Musical Stage, Dies at 86
by Bruce Weber, The New York Times, June 4, 2015

Eugene Louis Faccuito ("Luigi"), 90

Eugene Louis Faccuito, Creator of Jazz Dance Style, Dies at 90
by Margalit Fox, The New York Times, April 11, 2015