'42nd Street' at the Walnut (2nd review)

Even with its oozing schmaltz, stale plot and (in this Philadelphia production) dicey production values and uneven cast, Walnut Street Theatre’s staging of the late director-choreographer Gower Champion’s 42nd Street has plenty going for it— most notably a half-dozen superb dancers.

Forty-Second Street. Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Al Dubin; book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. Directed by Charles Abbott; choreographed by Mary Jane Ho

Lewis Whittington

Nov 17, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

World Dance performances

Three World Dance troupes offer, respectively, electricity, metaphysical reflection and a polished, unfussy tango showcase.

Lewis Whittington

Nov 07, 2006 · Articles · 5 minute read

Paul Taylor Dance Co. at Annenberg

Paul Taylor, one of the architects of the post-modern movement, kicked off Dance Celebration’s 25th season with a program that demonstrated the full range of his 50 years of dance-making.

Paul Taylor Dance Company. Presented October 19, 2006 by Dance Celebration at Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 636-9000 or www.dancecelebration.org.

Lewis Whittington

Oct 24, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

Pennsylvania Ballet's Jerome Robbins program

It’s a new season for the Pennsylvania Ballet, and you know what that means: Reliable favorites from Jerome Robbins, reliably performed.

Romance & Revelry: An Evening of Dance by Jerome Robbins. Pennsylvania Ballet Oct. 11-15, 2006, at Academy of Music. www.paballet.org.

Lewis Whittington

Oct 16, 2006 · Articles · 4 minute read

'Ascab Capoeira' at Live Arts/Philly Fringe

Blacklight Capoeira and Maculele. Philly Fringe Festival production presented Sept. 1-9, 2006 at
Philadelphia Capoeira Arts Center,
756 South. 11th Street, second floor.

Several shows at the Philadelphia Live Arts/Fringe Festival failed to live up to their promise. But this 400-year-old Brazilian dance-pugilism form was a genuine treat.

Lewis Whittington

Sep 14, 2006 · Articles · 1 minute read

Ballet X at Live Arts/Philly Fringe Festival

Ballet X’s dancers, all artistically moonlighting from Pennsylvania Ballet, display a raw athleticism that’s usually hidden in classical ballet.

Ballet X. Live Arts/Philly Fringe Festival, at the Wilma Theater, September 2006. www.livearts-fringe.org or 215 413 1318.

Lewis Whittington

Sep 14, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

'The Lion King' & 'Cirque du Soleil'

The Lion King offers something for grownups as well as kids: The rich and accessible texturing of Garth Fagan’s choreography. At Cirque du Soleil, choreographer Debra Brown welds disciplines together into a flowing movement narrative string that provides more than mere breathers from the show’s pyrotechnic spectacles.

The Lion King. Choreography by Garth Fagan. At the Academy of Music through September 10, 2006.

Lewis Whittington

Jul 20, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read

Peregrine Arts? 'Deadly She-Wolf'

The plot convolutions need streamlining, and the narration needs to be better paced with the action sequences, but this work of dance theater is an involving morality tale that deploys thrilling Samurai swordfights and martial arts exhibitions, as well as a score that's involving on every level.

Deadly She-Wolf Assassin At Armageddon. Dance-theater directed by Thaddeus Squire for Peregrine Arts. June 24-25 at
Mandell Theater, Drexel University.

Lewis Whittington

Jul 14, 2006 · Articles · 2 minute read

UArts' nEW Festival 2006

This collection of works-in-progress is amateurish, artistically slutty, even dance-averse. Can’t wait to see the final product.

nEW Festival 06. Dance-theater collective directed by Melanie Stewart and Paule Turner, for University of the Arts School of Dance. June 3-24, 2006 at Drake Theater, 15th and Spruce Sts. www.newfestival.net

Lewis Whittington

Jul 06, 2006 · Articles · 3 minute read

Wilma's DanceBoom! 2006

Dance Festivals take time to earn their reputations. The Wilma Theater’s DanceBoom is just five years old and in many respects still finding its footing. But new artistic director Terry Fox didn’t skip a beat, including events like a dance film series and performances outside the theater to give things a more festival-y feel.

Danceboom! 2006. June 15-30, 2006, at Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St. www.wilmatheater.org

Lewis Whittington

Jul 06, 2006 · Articles · 6 minute read