It has been brought to my attention once, twice, perhaps eighty-five times that I have not updated this blog in years. It is true, I have not updated this blog in years. It’s not that I haven’t seen amazing shows and installations or taken pictures and had incredible experiences in the world of the aesthetic – it’s just…well sometimes the slacker in me takes over or I get sidetracked. For example, right now I’m supposed to be working on my thesis. Well right now, I’m supposed to be drafting a letter on behalf of my boss to thank some people for their innumerable contributions to humankind. But first let me tell you about a show I saw recently.
Last week, I went to see FELA! It was really entertaining but missed a little of the magic necessary to make my brain sparkle.
Now truthfully, I have not seen many Broadway shows [I have a way off Broadway/East Village type budget] but I thought the set design was really innovative – not super technical with hydraulics and clever stage use, like Dream Girls at the Apollo, but I have never seen a show where they extended the set design that far into the audience space. The set designers did a clever recreation of Fela’s famed performance space and the writer and director played with the fourth wall – engaging the actual audience as if we were actually attending one of Fela’s performances.
I think it was also super evident [even if I didn't know this before hand] that the performance was directed by a dancer. Of course the dance sequences were well choreographed and interesting but I think Mr. Jones also did a great job of using the whole performance space and creating an environment where the dancers, musicians, and audience members seemed to move within shared space.
That said, I’m a plot girl and the first act had precious little plot – though there was a funny bit about pale tea drinking visitors from the north overstaying their welcome and stealing things like ….petroleum and PEOPLE leaving nothing behind but gonorrhea and Jesus.
The show was still pretty awesome and I would go see it again, [provided the tickets were discounted]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela
