Closing Notice: "Steal Your Rock n' Roll" fell short for me in one particular way. What I love about Broadway is its story-telling ability; this number did not do that for me. The obvious microphones specifically and the choreography, too, made it seem more like a concert than a hit number from a musical. As opposed to the other performances from my Fab Four, I did not feel that "Broadway" energy, where the characters and singers portray their emotion through the lyrics and the dancers their story through their movement. The style of this performance felt as though it could be a pop concert which I could sing along with rather than a story which I could follow along and relate to. In addition, I believe the director of the show was more concerned with the singing aspect of the musical rather than the performance as a whole. For these reasons, I would not pick Memphis as one of my top four choices.
1.)Name of show (year it opened): Memphis (2009)
2.)Name of song/dance number: "Steal Your Rock 'N' Roll"
3.)Video:
4.)APA reference for video: Hngrego. ( 2010, June 16). Memphis the Musical - "Steal Your Rock 'N' Roll" [Video File].
5.)Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo
6.)Dancers (if credited): Chad Kimball, Montego Glover, and Cast.
7.)Ranking: 5th
8.)Comments & Notes -The performance starts off with some dialogue by Chad Kimball and Montego Glover. Their dialogue quickly turns into singing and the pace picks up as the rest of the cast joins them on stage and sings along. I like that this number started off with conversation between Kimball and Glover because it provides the audience with a small narration which gives them an idea of the meaning behind the song.The main cast members,Chad Kimball playing Huey, and Montego Glover playing Felicia are responsible for majority of the singing in the performance, especially the chorus. Meanwhile, in the background, the rest of the cast members are responsible for all the dancing and movement, as well as singing certain lyrics in the song to emphasize their strength. I really enjoyed how upbeat and high energy this performance was. Although it was very fast paced, the dancers made it look effortless. I also appreciated the simplicity of the wardrobe the cast was wearing. Most of the men wore button up shirts with dress pants and the rest wore casual half sleeve polo shirts with khakis. The women all wore plain, flowy dresses that came up to their knees.The cast members didn't have extravagent costumes but I thought they all appeared very neat and groomed.
1.)Name of show (year it opened): Memphis (2009)
2.)Name of song/dance number: "Steal Your Rock 'N' Roll"
3.)Video:
4.)APA reference for video: Hngrego. ( 2010, June 16). Memphis the Musical - "Steal Your Rock 'N' Roll" [Video File].
5.)Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo
6.)Dancers (if credited): Chad Kimball, Montego Glover, and Cast.
7.)Ranking: 5th
8.)Comments & Notes -The performance starts off with some dialogue by Chad Kimball and Montego Glover. Their dialogue quickly turns into singing and the pace picks up as the rest of the cast joins them on stage and sings along. I like that this number started off with conversation between Kimball and Glover because it provides the audience with a small narration which gives them an idea of the meaning behind the song.The main cast members,Chad Kimball playing Huey, and Montego Glover playing Felicia are responsible for majority of the singing in the performance, especially the chorus. Meanwhile, in the background, the rest of the cast members are responsible for all the dancing and movement, as well as singing certain lyrics in the song to emphasize their strength. I really enjoyed how upbeat and high energy this performance was. Although it was very fast paced, the dancers made it look effortless. I also appreciated the simplicity of the wardrobe the cast was wearing. Most of the men wore button up shirts with dress pants and the rest wore casual half sleeve polo shirts with khakis. The women all wore plain, flowy dresses that came up to their knees.The cast members didn't have extravagent costumes but I thought they all appeared very neat and groomed.
Photo Credit: Memphisflyer.com
Freedom of Movement/ Improvisation: Around 0:58 seconds the cast members show a lot of freedom of movement.You can see as they are all lined up together that within a matter of seconds they quickly shift from bending to and from the ground, putting all their body weight on their knees, arching their arms diagonally upward, criss crossing their legs, to spinning in a circle. They used several individual parts of their bodies to create such an intricate dance move which lasted just a matter of seconds.
Charleston: Around 1:00 to 1:06 while the dancers are exhibiting freedom of movement, they are also using charleston like movements with their feet. As they lift their arms in the air, their footwork resembles the Charleston. The dancers shift their feet and alternate putting one in front of the other repeatedly.
Synocopated Rhythm: Around 1:52 to 2:36 the singing ends and a new beat of a music plays in the background. During this part of the performance, the music picks up very quickly and the new beats are very prominent. The sound of drums being played is emphasized at this time while the dancers begin their extravagant movements. The male dancers are at the center of the stage and began doing high jumps, back flips, and splits across the stage.
Ballet: Around 2:05 to 2:09 four male dancers at the front of the stage use ballet movements. They show influences of ballet by doing a small pirouette followed by a high jump spin in the air.
Buddy Bradley: Around 2:15 to 2:20 two male dancers in the center of the stage seem to be movements with their feet that are influenced by Buddy Bradley. The two males slide their feet quickly, alternating from left to right.
Precision Dancing: Around 2:25 to 2:30 there are two rows of male dancers standing one behind the other. The first row completes a back flip while at the same time the back row completes a front flip. This movement was so polished, none of the dancers collided into each other or hesitated. The dancers complete this movement with such precision and executed it with perfection without any signal from each other.
Other Influences: Connection to Earth, Call and Response, and Tap.
Photo Credit: Playbill.com
Closing Notice: Although I definitely enjoyed Donna Murphy's quirky attitude and movements in the upbeat number, "Swing," I must say that in comparison to my top four choices, which had a lot of character, I was not particularly fond of the bland set; I enjoy watching musicals in which the sets complement the story being told. "Swing" lacks a creative backdrop to the eccentricity of the show. In simpler words, the stage props do not do justice to the characters and their big personalities. I did not get the whole effect from "Swing;"much like "Steal Your Rock n' Roll," it lacked the "wow" factor that brings the whole number together into an enjoyable performance. Donna Murphy's star quality could be enough to attract any viewer but for me, the stage setting fell short.
1.)Name of show (year it opened): Wonderful Town (2003 Revival)
2.)Name of song/dance number: "Swing!"
4.)APA reference for video: Wonderful Town Broadway Revival Tony Award Live (2011, July 23). [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P7n5Am-F5A
5.)Choreographer: Kathleen Marshall
6.)Dancers (if credited): Donna Murphy and Cast
7.)Ranking: 6th
8.)Comments & Notes - Initially, what drew me to this performance was the fact that before viewing the dance, the host of the Tony Award show provided a brief narrative about the show. I personally enjoy performances so much more when I know the general story behind each scene. I think that the dialogue between cast members before the actual singing begins allows the audience to connect to the song and thoroughly understand all the lyrics. I felt that the main star of the show, Donna Murphy made this performance very memorable due to her sometimes awkward and strange behaviors. The first thing I noticed about her was her charisma and enthusiasm to play her role. She didn't hesitate to behave in an unusual manner for a woman, she was more focused on the actual performance and entertaining the audience. Many times throughout the show, she came off as eccentric. Whether it was her posture, her dance movements, her stance, or her gestures, she came off far from elegant. Although some may think her behavior on stage is quirky, I think that is the main attribute to her star quality. She seemed to be the star of the stage while the background dancers complimented her character.
1.)Name of show (year it opened): Wonderful Town (2003 Revival)
2.)Name of song/dance number: "Swing!"
3.)
4.)APA reference for video: Wonderful Town Broadway Revival Tony Award Live (2011, July 23). [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P7n5Am-F5A
5.)Choreographer: Kathleen Marshall
6.)Dancers (if credited): Donna Murphy and Cast
7.)Ranking: 6th
8.)Comments & Notes - Initially, what drew me to this performance was the fact that before viewing the dance, the host of the Tony Award show provided a brief narrative about the show. I personally enjoy performances so much more when I know the general story behind each scene. I think that the dialogue between cast members before the actual singing begins allows the audience to connect to the song and thoroughly understand all the lyrics. I felt that the main star of the show, Donna Murphy made this performance very memorable due to her sometimes awkward and strange behaviors. The first thing I noticed about her was her charisma and enthusiasm to play her role. She didn't hesitate to behave in an unusual manner for a woman, she was more focused on the actual performance and entertaining the audience. Many times throughout the show, she came off as eccentric. Whether it was her posture, her dance movements, her stance, or her gestures, she came off far from elegant. Although some may think her behavior on stage is quirky, I think that is the main attribute to her star quality. She seemed to be the star of the stage while the background dancers complimented her character.
Influences:Photo Credit: Playbill.com
The Charleston: Around 3:37 the actor's dance moves including,the snapping of fingers, kicking of feet side to side , and twisting of hips seem to be influenced by the Charleston.
Swing Dance: Around 4:23 as the male and female dancers began to dance on the stage, the beat picks up as they dance as couples, spinning in circles, diagonally kicking, and lifting each other in the air, their movements exhibit influences of swing.
Vaudaville - Around 4:13 they begin their vaudaville influenced movements including, high jumps, high kicks, and flips.
Joesphine Baker- Donna Murphy's carefree character reminded me so much of Joesphine baker. She didn't care if she was making a fool of herself on stage, she cared about the end result and wanted a great performance.
Other influences:
The Shimmy
The Lindy hop
Anges de Mille
Connection to Earth
Call and Response
Tap
Freedom of Movement
Connection to Earth
Call and Response
Tap
Freedom of Movement
