Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular!
Animal Engine
Carrie Brown and Karim Muasher
What a totally ridiculous premise. Anthropologist Penelope Vindlevoss is the only surviving member of her expedition. She has discovered and tamed the zombie who ate the rest of her party.
Edward, the zombie, longs to be human. He must perform a test to become one--the test is of course to perform a CIRCUS. If he succeeds in three acts, he can be a human. If he fails, she will have to kill him.
Yes, completely outlandish--but it works. Both the characters are alive, charming and totally in the moment. Penelope sports a huge bushy moustache that continuously causes her discomfort, Edward is distracted by the temptation to eat the audience--they play these moments with us in a warm and joyful way. We are happy to take this journey with them.
We are completely appalled when Edward fails and Penelope actually attempts to kill him--but he is a zombie--he is already dead!
Well played!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Cabaret #4 Hosted by Summer Shapiro
Cabaret
Host Summer Shapiro
Summer started us off with her slow, intense and very funny entrance. She wasted very little time getting right to the acts:
Barb and Helen--Aimee German and Anna Zastrow as a Country Western dancing duo. They start out having a great time with each other. They are both enthusiastic to perform; Amy seems to know what she is up to, but Anna looks like there is nothing but wood between her ears. The dance devolves into a competition and then a knock-down, drag out fight. It is great to see this kind of big slapstick.
Adina Ballerina--does the entire Nutcracker Suite in 7 minutes. I love how she uses actual choreographic quotes from the Christmas classic.
Mary and Harry--play a short bit from their full length show. There is a great deal of risque behavior here that encourages the same from the audience. Their physical work is strong and clear.
Mik Kuhlman--Dressed in her huge black coat and "elegant" crown, Mik is clearly the King. She subtly encouraged someone to take her arm, properly!, and guide her to the center of the stage. there she proceeded to melt to almost a flat puddle of coat, and then rise again. Very fun and funny.
Angela--Ishah Jansen-Faith as Angela, a mop-haired enthusiastic country girl who has taken a break from nursing her three babies to come and "paint our souls." Charming.
Zero Boy--his verbal acrobatics are legendary. He took us on a journey that including many explosions and fast cars .
Hilary Chaplain as a very pregnant opera singer who tries to maintain her arias as she goes into labor.
Amy G--gave us beautiful three part harmony on the kazoo. I leave it to your imagination how she manages to play three kazoos at the same time.
Host Summer Shapiro
Summer started us off with her slow, intense and very funny entrance. She wasted very little time getting right to the acts:
Barb and Helen--Aimee German and Anna Zastrow as a Country Western dancing duo. They start out having a great time with each other. They are both enthusiastic to perform; Amy seems to know what she is up to, but Anna looks like there is nothing but wood between her ears. The dance devolves into a competition and then a knock-down, drag out fight. It is great to see this kind of big slapstick.
Adina Ballerina--does the entire Nutcracker Suite in 7 minutes. I love how she uses actual choreographic quotes from the Christmas classic.
Mary and Harry--play a short bit from their full length show. There is a great deal of risque behavior here that encourages the same from the audience. Their physical work is strong and clear.
Mik Kuhlman--Dressed in her huge black coat and "elegant" crown, Mik is clearly the King. She subtly encouraged someone to take her arm, properly!, and guide her to the center of the stage. there she proceeded to melt to almost a flat puddle of coat, and then rise again. Very fun and funny.
Angela--Ishah Jansen-Faith as Angela, a mop-haired enthusiastic country girl who has taken a break from nursing her three babies to come and "paint our souls." Charming.
Zero Boy--his verbal acrobatics are legendary. He took us on a journey that including many explosions and fast cars .
Hilary Chaplain as a very pregnant opera singer who tries to maintain her arias as she goes into labor.
Amy G--gave us beautiful three part harmony on the kazoo. I leave it to your imagination how she manages to play three kazoos at the same time.
Big Shoes, Short Tales
Big Shoes Short Tales
Michelle Matlock
Directed by Amy Gordon
Michelle takes simple autobiographical stories and animates them using little but lights, some sound and her marvelously expressive self. We are invited in immediately; it is clear that she is having a fabulous time and she is ecstatic to be sharing it with us. She can do or say anything, we love watching her.
With a brilliant smile, totally proud of her prowess, Michelle twirls a rainbow ribbon, and stops to talk to us of her first visit to NY. Thus begins the tale of Michelle's journey to become an artist: her struggles, her pleasures, her discovery of her true identity.
One of my favorite moments is when, totally dejected, she calls her mother, to ask for money. She does an elaborate warm up to get prepared. She laughs almost uncontrollably as she listens to her mom--you can tell there is big love coming at her. Then she gets serious and asks for the money; she is rewarded with the promise. The second time she calls mom, the pattern repeats. It is even funnier this time, because we know what is coming.
Michelle is a wonderful storyteller.
My only complaint is that is was over so soon. What a great start on a full-length one-woman autobiography. I cannot wait for the next ten or twelve chapters.
Michelle Matlock
Directed by Amy Gordon
Michelle takes simple autobiographical stories and animates them using little but lights, some sound and her marvelously expressive self. We are invited in immediately; it is clear that she is having a fabulous time and she is ecstatic to be sharing it with us. She can do or say anything, we love watching her.
With a brilliant smile, totally proud of her prowess, Michelle twirls a rainbow ribbon, and stops to talk to us of her first visit to NY. Thus begins the tale of Michelle's journey to become an artist: her struggles, her pleasures, her discovery of her true identity.
One of my favorite moments is when, totally dejected, she calls her mother, to ask for money. She does an elaborate warm up to get prepared. She laughs almost uncontrollably as she listens to her mom--you can tell there is big love coming at her. Then she gets serious and asks for the money; she is rewarded with the promise. The second time she calls mom, the pattern repeats. It is even funnier this time, because we know what is coming.
Michelle is a wonderful storyteller.
My only complaint is that is was over so soon. What a great start on a full-length one-woman autobiography. I cannot wait for the next ten or twelve chapters.
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