On 'Pointe': Why Amy Sherman-Palladino's BUNHEADS is Hitting All the Right Moves (& How SMASH & GLEE Can Take Their Cues From It)

The Bunheads cast (from left): Bailey Buntain, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Sutton Foster, Emma Dumont and Julia Goldani Telles.
(Photo: ABC Family/Andrew Eccles)

A few months ago, when news had broke of a Glee mishap concerning the recording of Jonathan Coulton's now infamous cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," I had intended on writing an article about the musical comedy phenom and intellectual property (which I can still write if some of you are really that interested) but it soon digressed into what I suppose I really wanted to write about, which was the show itself and its failings.  Flash forward a few months later, 10 episodes in on a little show called Bunheads, and here we are. It's a show which has garnered plenty of buzz, long before its debut, thanks to the fact that its star is none other than 2-time Tony winner* Sutton Foster.  Foster plays the smart and often sarcastic Michelle Simms, a former Broadway chorus dancer whose life now consists of parading in skimpy showgirl outfits in Vegas.  Miserable at the turn her life's taken, she decides on a whim to marry her longtime admirer, Hubbell Flowers.  As the show goes on, it seems to turn itself (and viewers' expectations) on its head as Michelle settles in Hubbell's hometown of Paradise, a sleepy town on the California coast.  Through a series of unfortunate and complicated events, Michelle finds herself co-owner -- along with mother-in-law Fanny (played by inimitable A Chorus Line alum Kelly Bishop) -- of Hubbell's entire property, which interestingly enough includes Fanny's dance studio.  Of course, all this leads to what the main focus of the show is: the four "bunheads" in question, Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles); Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins); Melanie (Emma Dumont) and Ginny (Bailey Buntain), and their relationship with their two superiors...and each other. Yes, it all sounds like any other show you'd expect from the creator of cancelled WB-Later-CW staple Gilmore Girls -- but if you're thinking that, you're forgetting how great a show Gilmore Girls was.  Yes, it had a soundtrack by Sam Phillips that featured a lot of songs that went "la-la-la," but it was more than that: it had strong female characters, intelligent, whip-fast dialogue that could rival the likes of Aaron Sorkin, and a whole lotta heart.  In an age where we're "keeping up" with women who are famous for nothing on television, keeping up with the Gilmores and their ilk seems more and more these days like holding onto a relic of an innocent past long gone.   Until Bunheads, that is.  If there's anything that's missing from the current Teen Drama-scape, it's a show which highlights strong female-to-female relationships.  In the post-Mean Girls, Pretty Little Liars world we live in, we need a show like Bunheads as a positive influence for future generations.    So what does the Amy Sherman-Palladino-helmed dance dramedy have to do with Glee, Smash and shows like them?  Well, a lot, actually.   Like those shows, Bunheads is also a show about the world of performing arts -- in this case,  the world of dance (I could just specifically say ballet, but as the season goes on, Marguerite Derricks' choreography takes on different styles).  The series showcases a group of dancers at an age where everything is, well, a turning point.  Take into account the heavily disciplined art form that is ballet, combined with the daily dread that is high school and you've got yourself a world full of trouble -- especially considering the fact that yes, these young characters also happen to be girls.  Girls who want to date, have a normal family and maybe be able to eat some junk food every now and then.  Life's tough enough when you're a girl, but when you're a teenage girl aspiring to be a prima ballerina?  It's even tougher. Okay, so this all may sound like a bit of a stretch...but is it, really?   What makes this show unique from all the other shows is that it ignores all that extra stuff: y'know, the over-the-top, Let's-Record-A-Song-And-Put-It-On-iTunes numbers that they all seem to be doing these days.  And while I love musicals that do it big, it seems that when it's done on television it's the story seems to suffer under the brunt of its magnitude.  If what both Glee and the now-cancelled Smash lack is a sense of direction and focus, Bunheads seems to have it in spades.  It follows that Golden Rule of All Golden Rules when it comes to musical theater: have the song help move the story along, not overshadow it.  And while this show has no singing, it does have dancing -- a lot of it, actually. Here, it is the dancing that becomes the true star of the show.  Forget the rapid-fire dialogue, the twinkly guitar-strumming soundtrack and even the Tony-winning star; at the end of the day, when life hits you hard (as it does to the four girls throughout the season), the only place you can truly go back to and call home is the barre.  Bunheads reminds me of a time when all that mattered was getting that one step just right, practicing until you finally made that turn all on your own.  It's a perfect metaphor for a time in your life when things aren't so easy.   As a former jazz dancer who quit just before high school, this was the thought that struck me as the character Sasha, after having just found out about her parents' divorce, dances fiercely to a song by They Might Be Giants at the end of  Episode 6.  It was that episode that made me realize that this show has a lot to offer, and still does.   So, to the Powers-That-Be: please don't cancel Bunheads.  It still has a lot more to give.

My Favorite Things: The So-Good-Summer-Must-Be-Coming Edition!

THE LAST FIVE YEARS.  If it's not already obvious how obsessed I've become with this show since seeing it just a few days ago, let me post some Behind-the-Scenes videos of the new production, just in case I haven't made myself clear.  While its run at Second Stage Theatre came to a close this past Saturday night, its feature film (starring Pitch Perfect's Anna Kendrick and Smash's Jeremy Jordan) will soon into production.  Until then, I'll be listening to the OBCR and watching these videos (more of which you can check out here) on heavy rotation until the new cast recording comes out.  
Summer can't come soon enough, if you ask me!



KERRIGAN-LOWDERMILK NEWS!  My favorite New Musical Theatre composers, Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk have come out with a LIVE ALBUM!  The aptly-titled Kerrigan-Lowdermilk Live contains exciting new arrangements of old favorites such as "How to Return Home" and "Run Away with Me," as well as never-before-recorded ones like "The Fathers Ran Away" and "My Party Dress."  With incredible performances from the likes of Andy Mientus (Smash), Rebecca Naomi Jones & Alysha Umphress (American Idiot), Lindsey Mendez (Godspell) and indie band The Spring Standards, Live -- like the previous Our First Mistake -- once again offers that unique musical theatre/singer-songwriter experience that can only come from Kerrigan-Lowdermilk.
I'd tell you to Spotify it, but then I'd be doing you a disservice.  So go buy it on iTunes now...you won't regret it!

BROADWAY STARS ON (AND OFF?) MY TV.  If I haven't mentioned this already, I was out of the country for about 5 weeks, so forgive me if I seem out of the loop, 'cause...I'm really out of the loop, guys.  That said, you can then imagine my surprise when I see Hair's Sasha Allen belting out on an episode of NBC singing competition The Voice!  It always makes me happy to see my favorite theatre people rock it out on my TV, just as American Idiot alum Tony Vincent did on the same show last year.
As for that other show featuring Broadway stars, its unfortunate cancellation has been announced; and while I can't say I'm surprised, I'm definitely sad to see it go.  Smash had a lot of things going for it, including the willing participation of many acclaimed New Musical Theatre composers such as Benj Pasek and Justin Paul -- known to many simply as Pasek & Paul (Dogfight, Edges: A Song Cycle).  The series is scheduled to close the curtain (yes, pun fully intended) on Sunday, May 26, with an episode dedicated to Broadway's Biggest Night, the Tonys.  Definitely can't wait to see the "Big Finish" they've got planned!  
Interesting to note are the reactions the cancellations have caused, from both critical and fan points-of-view.  New York Times critic and Arts Beat blogger Christopher Isherwood recently made a lot of noise with his "farewell" to the NBC show, which apparently garnered some strong reactions from fans in the comments.  It's worth a read if you've got the time.
Meanwhile, we're still waiting word on that other other show featuring a member of Broadway's elite, the Amy Sherman-Palladino-helmed Bunheads.  The show, on which two-time Tony-winner Sutton Foster (Anything Goes!, Thoroughly Modern Millie) stars as dancer Michelle Simms, is still up-for-grabs for a Season 2 renewal, despite mixed reports from various sources.  I for one hope the show continues, as -- from the looks of it -- it seems like the only show that seems to be representing the performing arts right these days (I'm lookin' at you, Glee). Only time will tell...

Stage Review: Second Stage Theatre's THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe in The Last Five Years at Second Stage Theatre.
(Photo by Sara Krulwich)

_____

Modern Romance

Second Stage Theatre's The Last Five Years 

jerks tears and tugs hearts of a new generation 

I've always felt that, out of the four seasons, Spring was the perfect time to fall in...and out of love.  As many new couples go walk hand-in-hand out on the streets of New York City, blissfully unaware of the day-to-day realities of a relationship they will soon experience, one couple is discovering just that on West 43rd street.  In Jason Robert Brown's much-beloved cult favorite The Last Five Years, the exciting beginnings and tumultuous downfall of a relationship is examined with an intimacy as never before seen in a musical since perhaps its own original mounting in 2001 (which was helmed by Daisy Prince).

As a longtime theater-lover, I'd always heard of The Last Five Years -- commonly shortened to L5Y -- but never in my RENT-obsessed mind had, at the time, thought much of it.  Until, that is, when my friend Michelle at the Super Awesome Broadway Ninjas blogged about it.  At that point, I had been quietly working on what was then a 6-year writing project, which also dealt with the stages of a relationship told through flashbacks.  When I read about L5Y's original concept and format I was naturally intrigued and immediately purchased the Original Cast Recording.  I fell in love with Brown's beautiful music and story -- and the rest, as they say, is history.

For the uninitiated, L5Y is told from the perspectives of Jamie Wellerstein (previously portrayed by Norbert Leo Butz, now taken on by Adam Kantor), a novelist and Cathy Hyatt (originally Sherie Rene Scott, now Betsy Wolfe), a stage actress.  Doesn't sound all that earth-shattering -- that is, until you consider the way these characters tell their story: Jamie narrates from the beginning of the relationship, while Cathy starts from the end.  The show is designed as such that each song the characters sing act as interior monologue, and it is the music through which much of the action is derived.  Each scene, while on different timelines, seems to flow effortlessly from one to the next, yet the contrasts in emotion that result are at once striking and powerful.  All this is probably owed to the fact that this 2013 production is directed by none other than its creator, Jason Robert Brown himself.

Brown's score being the first thing I fell in love with in relation to this show, it seems only appropriate that I talk about it first.  After all, when one mentions L5Y, the music is most likely the first to come to mind to anyone who has heard its score.  It is probably not much of a stretch to suggest that the music could be a third character in the show.  The music is the main device used in order to tell the story, and every emotion is written into each note and lyric with graceful precision, each a piece of the puzzle, having its place and purpose.  This is clearly reflected in the arrangements of the score, under the careful direction of Thomas Murray.

Apart from the beautiful score, it is the performances from each actor that have certainly benefitted the most from having the show's creator at its helm.  While I have never seen the original production myself, I can say for certain that we've found a perfect Jamie and Cathy this time around in Kantor and Wolfe, respectively.  Kantor, who made his Broadway debut as Mark Cohen in RENT, shines as aspiring writer Jamie and fearlessly takes on Brown's score with some impressive vocal acrobatics, most notably in "A Miracle Would Happen/When You Come Home to Me."  His Jamie is playful and flirtatious, while still managing to balance all of that out with unabashed romance.  For her part, Wolfe -- last seen on Broadway's The Mystery of Edwin Drood -- is adorable and charming as Cathy.  She presents to us a Cathy that is vibrant and strong-willed, yet insecure and vulnerable at the same time.  In short, Wolfe makes her feel real, which helps us as voyeurs further relate and feel an affinity toward the characters as their relationship unfolds.  Her own interpretation of the music, particularly in "A Summer in Ohio" and "Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You," complements the score in an understated way .  In fact, both performers do exactly that when they finally cross paths on "The Next Ten Minutes," the scene in which their characters marry and the only one in which they meet on the same point in the timeline.  Their voices softly tread through the waves of strings and piano accompaniment, just as their characters do the same when their own journey enters tempestuous waters not long after.

It wasn't just the actors' individual performances or the music that helped to reinforce the theme of a rocky relationship; Derek McLane's set designs and Jeff Croiter's lighting were minimal but effective, and did a great job at taking us along for the ride.  Everything was done in such a way that felt just right for the show, not just for the purpose of mood and setting, but for the emotional undertaking that is required for a show with such heavy subject matter.  One shining moment for me was the clever way "The Next Ten Minutes" was staged (which I won't get into here, but if you go see the show, you'll know what I'm talking about).  Another was "The Schmuel Song," which had LCD screens help amplify the story-within-a-story.

This time around, The Last Five Years has proved that you can fall in (and out) of love again, as fans both old and new turned out to show their love for the musical.  It is a beautifully rendered piece of theater, one that will without a doubt continue make audience fall in love again and again for generations to come.

____

The Last Five Years' final extension 

runs until May 18th

at Second Stage Theatre

For more information about this production,

click here.

What I Think About When I Think About Snow Days, and Other Musings

Snow hath finally fallen upon New York City, and for once, I am actually enjoying it.  I didn't get a chance to truly settle into the winter last year, as my mother and I had gone back home to the Philippines for a mid-winter vacation.  So now I'm all about drinking hot chocolate and almost every kind of tea imaginable (or, at least the ones available via Twinings samples) and gettin' cozy in blankets.  

Oh yes, I will hibernate the heck outta winter.

Of course, aside from marathoning How I Met Your Mother and eating bon bons, there are definitely a few other things keeping me entertained during this blustery winter season.  And yes, most of them are of the musical theatre variety, but you knew that already.  I submit for your approval, dear readers, Exhibit A (er, the video above): former Godspell "wunderstudy" Julia Mattison's original song, "Frostbite! Awesome!", as performed at her A Violent Holiday Explosion! concert at the Laurie Beechman back in 2011.  This and many of her other songs have become perennial favorites, and since then, I've become weirdly obsessed intensely interested in her clever knack for musical comedy.  (For those who don't know Ms. Mattison through Godspell, you may know her from this.)  

In other related items of musical theatre goodness are some recent videos from composing duo Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk (better known as Kerrigan-Lowdermilk, natch)'s concert in Los Angeles, featuring none other than Modern Family's Sarah Hylund and Glee's Melissa Benoist, among others.  I present to you, Exhibits B and C:

I mean, riiiiiight?!

Continuing on with the musical nerdiness (quite literally so), there was the Vlogbrothers' concert at Carnegie Hall! The "Evening of Awesome," as it's dubbed, was thrown all in the name of nerdfighteria, a global movement started by the Vlogbrothers (comprised of The Fault in Our Stars author John Green and his brother Hank Green) to decrease the amount of "worldsuck."  With the incredible lineup, which included awesome people like Kimya Dawson and NEIL FREAKING GAIMAN!!!1!, it seems to me that they're doing a heck of a job at decreasing all the suck in the world, 'cause there's nothing sucky about it!  Ladies & Germs, I give you Exhibit D:

Some other things I'm obsessing over because pretty much all I do all day is YouTube shit: fashion blogging (and now publishing) wunderkind Tavi Gevinson being interviewed by Stephen Colbert (also, while I'm at it, watch her talk at TEDxYouth.  This girl will make your mid-twenties self feel not so smart); Beyonce singing live lip-synching live-singing over her pre-recording at President Barack Obama's inauguration; She & Him doing some Video Chat Kareoke for HelloGiggles; Amy Poehler and Tina Fey hosting the Globes this year; & Adele winning a Golden Globe out of freaking nowhere and proceeding to make quite possibly the best acceptance speech at any awards show ever.

You're welcome, internet.

Stage Review: PigPen Theatre Company's THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON

The cast of The Old Man and the Old Moon, from left: Arya Shahi, Ryan Melia, Curtis Gillen, Ben Ferguson, Dan Weschler,  Matt Neurnberger and Alex Falberg.  
(Photo via Broadway.com)

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Shadow Puppets

PigPen Theatre Company takes us to 

a land of Make-Believe

Over the years, New York has seen its fair share of fairy tale- and folklore-driven theatre; from The Lion King and Wicked to the more recent Peter and the Starcatcher, there's been an emergence  of innovative re-telling of classic epics in a way that is suitable for audiences of both adults and children alike.  PigPen Theatre Company's The Old Man and the Old Moon is just that: a charming nostalgic gem, perfectly combining elements of puppetry and lighting, taking us on an adventure our 5 year-old selves would surely be envious of.

The Old Man and the Old Moon is an Irish folktale -- narrated by Matt Neurnberger and cast -- which tells of the eponymous Old Man (Ryan Melia), whose sole duty is to refill the moon with its light every time it "leaks" (presumably the reason why we see the moon waxing and waning).  Life for the Old Man and his wife is simple, thought not without its mundanities, and it is because of this that his wife prods him to go on an adventure to a mysterious island.  The Old Man hesitates and finally refuses, reluctant to leave his post at the leaky moon.  Undeterred by her husband's seemingly absent sense of adventure, the Old Man's wife takes their boat  in the middle of the night and sets forth for the mystical island whose haunting music beckons her from afar, like a siren.  By morning, the Old Man discovers his wife missing and is now left with a choice: stay at his post and wait, in the hope that she will eventually return; or leave the moon and chase after her himself.  Ultimately, he chooses the latter and what follows is a turbulent journey across seas, skies and even deserts.  Along the way, we join the Old Man as he meets a gang of sailors, warmongers, ghosts and much more as he continues on his quest.  

The first collaboration between the several members of the cast that make up PigPen, Old Man has its roots in the group's early days as students at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama and is their first full-length production.  It perhaps because of this history with the show that its band of "lost boys" give such an energetic performance; throughout, they seemed work well as a unit onstage, as if they were very in tune with one another.  Watching them play the story's array of vagabond misfits felt very much like being five and watching your friends play make-believe.

A wonderful presentation of song and story, the boys of PigPen Theatre bring us back to a simpler time when when storytelling involved nothing more than a flashlight and your imagination.  The production cleverly plays with light and shadow to help tell the Old Man's story, and much of Bart Cortwright's beautiful lighting installations and fixtures help to create different worlds in a very simple and elegant way, but no less effective.

Another driving force in the show was the beautiful folk music, played by members of the cast and helps narrate the story in a more abstract manner than the dialogue itself.  Much in the way troubadours of the Middle Ages were storytellers of their time, PigPen's score (some of which can be found on their album, Bremen) harkens to the Irish culture, which is ingrained with traditions of storytelling, both oral and aural.  The music is at once rousing and soothing, contemplative and mysterious; it certainly helps to put you in that stories-by-the-campfire mood, which is all you need when you see this fantastic production.

The Old Man and the Old Moon is a riveting tale, bound to delight your whole family and re-kindle the child in you.  The show ends its run on the 6th of this month (that's this Sunday!), so if you haven't seen it, catch it before it closes!

_____

The Old Man and  The Old Moon 
is playing through January 6th
at The Gym at Judson.
For more information about this production,
click here.

Guess who's back, back again...

Jess is back, tell a friend!

Yes, after almost a year's absence on the interwebs, I'm finally getting off my lazy arse and writing again!  Have ya missed me?!  I hope you did.

I bet you're wondering what I've been up to since, oh I don't know, October 2011, right?  Well, I pretty much spend the last few months or so turning 24, finishing off my senior year of college, getting A's and B's like a boss -- and well, graduating and stuff.  Y'know, the usual.  It's been quite a busy year, with a bit of travelling in-between, as well (for winter break this past January, I went back to my home country, the Philippines for a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle).  However, while it certainly hasn't been without its stresses, I did manage to see a few shows, one of which I have already reviewed below (more to come soon, I promise!).

Back in December, I rang in my 24th year by attending a reading of David Hentry Hwang's Yellow Face and Chinglish at the Drama Book Shop, where I also got to meet and chat a bit with the playwright himself!  (Not too shabby, eh?)  Apart from Snowball Battlefield in March, I was also able to catch a collection of skits by comedy troupe the machine collective called Public/Private: The Battle for Raoul Greenberg.  

I also caught a friend performing at this very cool thing called OUR BAR, a monthly gathering at Failte Bar in downtown NYC, wherein up-and-coming playwrights are encouraged to submit short scenes to be acted out in the bar! The catch is that the scene must take place within a bar setting, but beyond that, it's no holds barred (pun fully intended). They hold open casting calls for the scenes chosen, so aspiring actors looking to hone their chops can get in on the fun, too! The scenes shown the night I attended ranged from cutesy to hilarious to just-plain-ridiculous, and the vibe between the actors and audience was interesting. I'll hopefully be doing a full write-up about OUR BAR in the near future, so stay tuned here.

In recent months -- starting with later this past summer -- I caught up with up-and-coming theatre illustrator and fellow blogger, Ran, whom I met at the Public Theater's Tweet-up event last year.  In June, on Tonys day, we caught the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as the New York Theatre Workshop's production of Food & Fadwa.  Most recently (as recent as last Thursday, actually), we caught a workshop of what will hopefully be an Off-Broadway musical called FICTION IN PHOTOGRAPHS by former Million Dollar Quartet understudies Randy Redd (director) and Dan Mills (composer), at New World Stages.

Meanwhile, post-grad life has been all right. I've been catching up on sleep; reading (follow me on GoodReads!); traveling and enjoying some quality family time. I'm looking into catching some more shows soon, so keep an eye out for more reviews to come!


-J

♥ Special Event: Fight Theatre's SNOWBALL BATTLEFIELD (An Outdoor MP3 Experiment)

The company of Snowball Battlefield.
(Press Photos by Jose Perez IV and Kevin C. Gall)

____

Battle Royale
Jose Perez IV's Fight Theatre takes us 
out on a Snow day

When I got an invitation from Jose Perez IV a few months ago about a new project he was doing involving stage combat, MP3s, and running around the streets of NYC, I didn't hesitate to RSVP with a resounding HELL YES (Okay, I didn't exactly say it like that, but the sentiment was there)!  For those unfamiliar with Mr. Perez and his ilk (also known as Fight Theatre), they're the force behind recent Organs of State production Fighter, a high-flying action-adventure about a kid learning his warrior roots and what it truly means to be a fighter (which I had the privilege of seeing back in October).  I loved Fighter, and with this new project sounding a lot like a mix between Improv Everywhere's MP3 Experiments and Fighter Theater's aforementioned work, I couldn't help but get excited at the prospect of witnessing something cool and interactive.

This time around, Perez and Fight Theatre want to take it with you...outside.  Sounds serious, huh?  Well, it sure is, 'cause the premise behind Snowball Battlefield is that of a team of covert tactical agents called the Blue Team, who are on a mission to stop rival agents -- the Red Team, naturally -- from not only getting rid of the Winter Season for good, but also making it so that the temperatures don't drop ALL YEAR 'ROUND!  (While this may seem like a good thing, it may also be wise to add that the Reds want this to happen so that they can turn the world into Baggy-T-Shirt-and-Technicolor-Leggings-Wearing hipsters -- oh, the horror!)

Which is where we, the audience, come in -- literally.  As this is an outdoor MP3 Experiment, those who agreed to come see the show are instructed to download 2 tracks onto their iPods, Zunes (R.I.P.) --  and any other mp3 device they may have -- prior to meeting up at the starting location on 103rd and Broadway.  I have to admit, as I got off the 1 train, I almost panicked, as no one had seemed to gather together at a corner or anything just yet.  I caught glimpses of people who looked like they may be part of the show walking around, but was unsure about who was who.  It definitely felt like I was summoned by an omniscient agency for a top-secret meeting or hand-over of some sort!

"BLUE TEAM, ACTIVATE!"

The actors eventually did end up convening at a corner, and once everyone was there and we were all properly sync'd up, we were ready to go!  The first few minutes had us meeting the members of the Blue Team (Darius Homayoun, Giuseppe Maione, Jenny Carlson, Jack de Sanz and Rose Humphrey), led by Agent 1 (Jose Perez IV), a jaded but talented member of the force who reluctantly becomes their leader...and our hero (yes, that's a bit dramatic, but just go with it okay).  Before we ventured down to the park, we were told the long and sordid history of their rivalry with the Red Team (Alex Romania, Jared Wernick, Jon Garrity, Keiran Mulroy, Melanie Glickman and Sam Ogilvie), whose Evil Ways have contributed to every major disaster in history (including sinking the Titanic, apparently).  Luckily for us, we've got the Blue Team to help end their tyrannical reign over the weather through this mission.

As Agent 1 leads us on down 103rd, dodging bullets from (invisible) snipers and sword-weilding baddies, eventually parting ways with his teammates.  I was amused at the quizzical looks a few passersby threw at us, and while following Agent 1 as he rolled, aimed, and ducked his way down to the Riverside Park entrance, I started to feel a creeping sense of anxiety.  Where was the Red Team?  I looked up above the buildings where Agent 1 was "aiming" his guns at, but there were no Reddies in sight.  Admittedly, this frustrated me, and this led me to wonder where this performance was headed.

The "baddies."

In terms of geography, the performance itself was obviously, as previously mentioned, headed towards Riverside Park, where Agent 1 reunited with his teammates...and enemies. Yes, the Red Team (comprised of Alex Romania, Jared Wernick, Jon Garrity, Kieran Mulroy, Melody Glickman and Sam Ogilvie) finally pop up, led by leader and Agent 1 nemesis Calamity, also known as Trish (Katie Polin).  The Reds eventually reveal the reason behind all their evil-doing, which somehow involves seasonal weather and technicolored tights. From there, the mission hits it's climax, as the Red Team challenge our guys to an all-out battle in the park -- set to some epic music that only we can hear, of course. Ultimately, with clever quick-thinking by Agent 1, the bad guys are duped and the good guys survive -- and complete -- their mission, saving the day as only one can hope.

Jose Perez's brand of theater is part experimental performance art and part action-comedy parody. As with Fighter , the choreography seemed at one with the music, making it hard to tell if it was the music that inspired the choreography or vice versa. Either way, it made for effective spectacle, whether or not you had your iPod. An enjoyable send-up of anime, Kung-Fu and action films, Snowball Battlefield felt like going on an adventure with your friends around the city.



___Snowball Battlefield ran on Saturdays from March 10th-31st, 2012 at 103rd & Broadway and Riverside Park.  For more information about this production and others like it, click here.