Ballet isn’t all pointe shoes and tutus. With the Broadway Festival running through March 22, the Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) will showcase its versatility.
“I want to see the West Side Story,” said Krissy Girardi, a local dance teacher and professional ballet dancer. She is really excited to see the new production. “It is really nice to see the difference in the company.” Girardi said.
It used to be that ballet was very structured, with feet firmly planted in the classical styles. In ballet there is a name for everything; it is all very logical. That is what Girardi experienced when she danced in Italy for a few years. Now it is really important in the dance world to have diversity.
Stealing a line from “A Chorus Line,” Media Manager for the PNB Gary Tucker said, “Everything is better at the ballet.”
Ballet is art communicated through movement. It allows viewers to “experience something of beauty,” said Joanna Goff, chair of the EdCC drama department.
“I can recall some special magical times in the theatre that I was completely overwhelmed by what I saw and heard,” Goff said. “Several of those were when I was watching ballet and was so involved in the story that the movement, passion, the elements of light, sound and costuming working together were stunning. This experience lifts my heart and makes me cry, it is so beautiful!”
Goff recommends that students ex¬perience new forms of artistic expression. Everyone has a sense of what is beautiful in the world based on his or her place in the world. “It is important to expand on this; it is an enrichment of our lives,” Goff said.
PNB helps students expand their artistic experiences with special deals. More than just a nice escape, there are “good deals all over the place,” Tucker said. The “Senior and Student rush” tickets are half price 90 minutes before the performance on the day of show.
On Fridays there is the “Under 25” deal. Tickets are just $15 or two for $25 and can be bought in advance, but must be picked up in person. Or “Teen Tix” for those ballet aficionados ages 13-18. Tickets are just $5 on Friday.
Tucker suggests going to the pre-show lecture in the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall. The lecture are free to ticket holders and rarely fills up. Going to the lecture will give the audience member a greater appreciation of what they are about to see.
Those who want to avoid the post show traffic mad dash can attend a Q&A in the Norcliffe room one level up from the main lobby. Members of the audience can ask anything they want to know about the show.
“I always recommend the pre and post [lectures]” Tucker said. The Broadway Festival lectures might be helpful for those accustomed to more traditional ballet.
The first performance, “Take five … more or less,” is a jazz piece with an ensemble of 11 dancers. Tony Award-winning Broadway choreographer Susan Stroman created this piece for the PNB’s Laugh Out Loud! Festival in April 2008.
According to the PNB Web site “Stroman’s starting point was the idea that artists never really “take five.” Their art is always with them, even when they sleep—witness the “nighttime” section of the ballet, featuring a ballerina dancing over the heads of the sleeping dancers.”
Next up is “West Side Story Suite” based on the original 1957 Broadway production. Choreographer Jerome Robbins extracted a sequence of dances from West Side Story to make this suite for New York City Ballet in 1995. Now Robbins, with Peter Gennaro, has brought the production to Seattle.
“West Side Story” is based on the musical of the same name that explores the tensions of two rival gangs in 1950s New York. The music selections for the ballet will be “Prologue,” “Something’s Coming,” “Dance at the Gym,” “Cool,” “America,” “Rumble,” and “Somewhere Ballet” originally composed by Leonard Bernstein.
The music for the last two performances, “Carousel (a dance)” and “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” was composed by Richard Rodgers. The pieces will be orchestrated by William David Brohn and Hershy Kay respectively.
Carousel has a carnival atmosphere. The theme is tragic romance as the dancers create a stylized carousel on stage, separating the lovers with their movements. “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” tells a story of a strip joint customer who falls in love with a mobster’s girl. The Big Boss arranges a hit on the hoofer, but is saved by the girl.
During the intermissions on the Promenade level of the lobby there will be a mini-revue of Broadway showtunes sung by the Three Ladies of the 5th Avenue Theatre, Billie Wildrick, Candice Donehoo and Jeannette d’Armand.
For those 21 and over, after the show on March 14 there is the Backstage Bash event. Sponsored by Backstage Pass, PNB’s social group for ballet lovers over the age of 21. “You get to dance on stage after the show,” Tucker said. Tickets are $45 for regular admission and $100 for VIP tick¬ets that include admission to the ballet and a gift bag from PNB and the sponsors.
Backstage Pass is a chance for patrons to socialize with dancers and other ballet enthusiasts. Members enjoy discounts, free wine at hosted intermissions, parties and other events.
Along with the traditional shows like “Swan Lake” running April 9 – 19 and the “Christmas Nutcracker Suite,” PNB is showing the diversity of modern ballet with shows such as “ALL Tharp” and now the “Broadway Festival.” With “West Side Story,” “Carousel” and “Slaughter on Tenth Street” premiering in Seattle, PNB promises this to be a show to see.
Tickets and information can be found at www.PNB.org.
*Reprinted with permission from The Triton Review
‘Law Abiding Citizen’: delivering real justice?
If you are the kind of person who thinks that Liam Neeson’s character in “Taken” was too touchy-feely, then “Law Abiding Citizen” is for you.
Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is a seemingly everyday guy who has his world turned upside down by a home invasion robbery that goes horribly wrong. Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is the district attorney that makes a deal to send one criminal to death row, while the other gets a short prison term. For any person who watches their spouse and child die, this may not seem like nearly enough justice. Shelton decides to take matters into his own hands.
The plot of this movie is more than just him hunting down bad guys. It does not take long for him to take out the men who killed his family, and the police to arrest him. His vengeance isn’t about who did it, but who is responsible. Shelton is arrested and put in jail, but people keep dying. The theme of the movie becomes how to stop someone who is already in jail.
As far as revenge themed movies go, this one is off the charts. It does not fit any genre and keeps the audience on its toes by stirring the pot to keep moviegoers interested. There are elements of a thriller, plenty of action, and if you are a bad guy, this is a horror movie. This is the revenge movie that “Man on Fire” and “Taken” wanted to be.
There are a couple times in the movie where it gets a little graphic, but those scenes are rare and short in duration. Unlike other revenge movies, “Law Abiding” isn’t linear, whereas the others tend to be pretty predictable. The hero finds one bad guy, who leads him to another bad guy, who leads him to another bad guy.
“Law Abiding Citizen” doesn’t work that way. Every time you feel like you are going down a predictable road, it takes a turn. Just when you are sure you have it figured out, it changes. This makes “Law Abiding” a fun ride to be on.
If you are one of those people who likes to turn your brain off and just let the movie happen, this movie will keep you entertained, and won’t leave you with holes in your understanding of what just happened. However, if you are the cerebral moviegoer, this movie will give you a lot to think about. You can leave the theater discussing crime and punishment, the legal system and your different interpretations of justice. While there is a resolution in the movie, ultimately it is up to the viewer to decide if justice is served.
This movie has excellent acting, writing and directing. It scores high on the cinema experience scale. For me, it was also very enjoyable. If you like a good action movie that makes you think, this movie is for you. If you are one of those people who do not believe in the existence of evil (you know who you are), but think that some people are just misunderstood, it might be best for you to stay home, curl up with your cats, and wait for the “Rainbow Brite” movie to come out.
*Reprinted with permission from The Triton Review
‘Star Trek’ in IMAX is feast for the senses
The much anticipated “Star Trek” has hit theaters, posting well deserved big numbers at the box office. This movie should not be seen; it should be experienced. This is one you need to see in IMAX.
Looking at the previews, “Star Trek” seems like a prequel. Prequels are something that Hollywood rarely gets right. However, “Star Trek” is less of a prequel and more of a re-set. Even if you have never seen an episode of “Star Trek,” you will be able to follow every moment. However, if you are a hardcore Trekkie, buckle up for the ride of your life.
This movie does not give you time to get settled into your seat. There is something going on every second of the movie. The only time it gives you to catch your breath is when the credits roll.
And if you think it is good in the multiplex, you will be blown away watching it in IMAX. A six-story screen and seat shaking sound system makes this less of a movie and more of a cinematic experience.
If you can indulge my inner geek for a moment, I will give you the bad news. Winona Ryder is the total wrong choice for Amanda Grayson. They should have found a more age appropriate actress for the role. Her performance was the worst of the entire cast, and her scenes were the low part of the movie. If your “geek gauge” only goes up to three, none of that will matter. And if you think she is a good actress, that should tell you something about the rest of
the movie.
For those with a Starfleet uniform in their closet, this movie will not disappoint. Any departure from the original series or movies will all make sense in time. Everything is explained, without being dumbed down. In fact, some parts are so subtle, you just might miss them.
A young Kirk (Chris Pine) is exactly how you would expect him to be. Still a little brash, he makes Shatner seem thoughtful and careful by comparison. You can see that this young man will grow up to the be great Admiral Kirk. You feel like you get to see a little more background on Spock (Zachary Quinto). Most have never thought about how little we really know about the character. He has always been Spock, and now we know why. Simon Peg disappears into the role of Scotty so much that he is almost unrecognizable.
For Trekkies, this is the must-see movie of a lifetime. Your favorite nuances and catch phrases have been carefully worked into the movie without sounding like they are pandering. The mannerisms of Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban) are captured without seeming like a caricature. Kirk’s signature stuttered cadence is… the… only… thing missing. (Cool points if you got that.)
See this movie. I recommend seeing it in IMAX, but buy tickets now. They are sold out days ahead. Your first time seeing this should not be on your home screen. This movie deserves big screens and great sound. It is worth the full price.
*Reprinted with permission from The Triton Review.
‘Wolverine’ claws its way to mediocrity
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” takes one of the most beloved Marvel comics characters and whores it out for a quick buck. Comic book characters come with a built in audience, and that gives movie companies power. With that power comes responsibility.
In the latest of the “X-Men” franchise we are introduced to the mysterious Wolverine. Wolverine, or Logan, (Hugh Jackman), is familiar to fans of the previous X-Men movies. This, however is a prequel, and that removes all of the tension they tried to build in the film.
Sabertooth (Liev Schreiber) fights his half-brother Wolverine in the first X-Men movie. So no matter what happens, the audience knows they both will survive. Logan starts out in the X-Men movies with no memory. Instead of focusing on the conflict between Sabertooth and Wolverine, which will have no closure, they should have in¬vested some time into a better storyline.
We already know that Wolverine will get adamantium attached to his skeleton, and that at some time he must lose his memory. There will be no surprises there. However, the reasons why turn out to be some convoluted conspiracy that makes you wonder why they bothered.
Wolverine is not a new character in the Marvel universe; his story has already been written, so why would anyone go through and make changes? There are a lot of points they tease you with in the movie that keep disappointing. “The island” they refer to isn’t Genosha like you would expect. And the Weapon X project is explained as “Roman Numeral 10.” If there is a Weapon X and a Weapon 11, where are Weapons 1-9?
This is “The Hulk” all over again ruining an established character in a lame attempt to update them. When leaving, someone commented that “Wolverine” was like the “Daredevil” movie. The comparison is not far off.
If you are a long time Wolverine fan, you will leave disappointed. If you have never picked up a comic book, you will be lost. The only people who walked away satisfied were the ones who only know Wol¬verine from the previous X-Men movies.
The movie relies heavily on special effects, but knowing who will survive the movie removes the tension from the fight scenes. The movie also tries to insert too many characters. Is Blob really an interesting character? Other than an excuse to throw someone into a fat suit, I don’t understand the reason.
Gambit has too little screen time, so little it isn’t worth introducing the character. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is an awesome character, easily a new fan favorite. Yet they deprive him of his most endearing feature. Making a wise-cracking character mute ruins the character for the fans.
Logan is supposed to be like a feral animal, but in the movie he is more like a sensitive kitten. The special effects are cool, but the storyline is disappointing at best. If you must see it, forget everything you know about Wolverine, turn off the brain from any real thought and just let the pictures amuse you.
I walked away thinking that all I had wasted was my time, pleased that I didn’t have to pay for it, until I left the parking lot in downtown Seattle. Losing two hours of my life had cost me $9, the full price of a movie. Damn.
*Reprinted with permission from The Triton Review
Fighting to be entertaining
"Fighting" is aptly named. I was fighting to stay awake, fighting to stay interested and fighting the urge to walk out of the theater. But as your humble reviewer, I stayed and took one for the team.
Channing Tatum (Step up and Step up 2: The Streets) plays Shawn MacArthur, a down on his luck guy trying to hustle the streets of New York selling whatever he can get his hands on. Terrance Howard (Crash, Ironman) plays Harvey Boarden, a luckless, experienced street hustler who interduces Shawn to the world of underground street fighting.
This is not a new concept. And since it is unoriginal, Rogue Pictures did not seem to feel the need to make it interesting. From the trailer you would think that this is a bad movie that at least has some good action, however, even the action sucked. MacArthur seems more lucky than skilled as a fighter. The storyline is pedestrian and predictable and the acting was subpar.
*Reproduced with permission from The Triton Review
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