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Equal parts Cirque de Soleil and American Idol, Twyla Tharp’s
The Times They Are A-Changin’ confirms it: the vox populi now
dictates the cultural aesthetic.
Visually arresting,
thanks to Santo Loquasto’s imaginative set – a sort of homage to
Depression-era carnivals – and wildly energetic, thanks to a
talented corps of Tharp’s tried-and-true favorites, the show as a
whole is significantly less than the sum of its dynamic parts.
All three leads,
singers rather than singer-dancers (and barely dancers), come across
as contestants for the audience’s final vote. There’s no question
these people can sing – but to what end? What are they singing for?
Not often to each other, and rarely in service to the narrative.
Often as incoherent as
a dream, the storyline concerns a father-son dynamic, with a woman
tossed into the mix as a sort of bouncing ball between the two
males. As played by Lisa Brescia, the female lead, identified in the
program as “Cleo, a runaway” (and given her style of singing, she
might well have run away from the Grand Ole Opry), is too old for
the son as played by a barely-able-to-shave Michael Arden, and their
scenes read tentative, as if she’s fearful of robbing the cradle.
Thom Sesma, as Captain Ahrab, the abusive father, has riveting stage
presence, and in “Desolation Row” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,”
two numbers which are beautifully and dramatically staged, his
character reveals aspects of his being which give the audience
something to cling to, something to care about – if only for a few
minutes.
The show works best
when the clown corps is in full frantic motion, and in the movements
of these seven gifted dancers, it’s possible to discern character.
Using only movement and occasional sounds, the dancers ultimately
make these clowns more fully realized than the father, son, and lady
love.
More a dance company
recital at times, only to then become a singing competition a few
minutes later, The Times They Are A-Changin’ too often gives
the impression of being at the mercy of someone with a fidgety
finger on the remote control.
Perhaps most sadly, the show misses
an opportunity to substantiate the timely relevance of Bob Dylan’s
music and lyrics at this point in American history. Without the
incendiary music of the times, the social protests of the Sixties
might not have swept the nation. Forty years later, Dylan’s music
still has much to teach the American citizenry – but it’s going to
take a whole lot more than a visit to this circus.
Best always,
Mark and Robert
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