![]() ![]() Referencing traditional Chinese philosophy, movement, and imagery, the clichéd saga of good versus evil, life and death, the magical quest for immortality, and the struggle to control it is set in present-day New York and eighteen years into the future (while the details of the slow-paced narrative are not always clear in the presentation’s minimal dialogue and paramount visuals, the specifics are explained in the program notes). Photo by Stephanie Berger, courtesy The Shed. But like any new parent, what goes in the bottle is up for debate.For its opening 2019 season, The Shed – a central feature at the new Hudson Yards – presents the world-premiere of Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise, in keeping with its mission of “commissioning original works of art, across all disciplines, for all audiences.” Designed specifically for the towering and versatile space of The McCourt, the “kung-fu musical,” conceived and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (screenwriters of Kung Fu Panda), takes the form of a multimedia arena spectacle (here with seating for 1200 spectators), holding greater appeal for fans of theme-park or casino-style entertainment and action movies than aficionados of Broadway-quality theater. At just over three months old, The Shed is still in its infancy, like a baby screaming to be nurtured and fed. In our era of cancel culture, it would be deeply unfair to completely dismiss this work or his vision for The Shed’s potential. At its core, the audience still must be invested in the world of the play, however fantastical or futuristic it may be.Īlex Poots, The Shed’s artistic director and CEO, has previously served as the director of the Manchester International Festival (a bi-annual artist-led festival that presents works from across the spectrum of performing and visual arts and pop culture) and the artistic director of the Park Avenue Armory. I applaud that effort, but the work suffers similar stylistic incongruities that plagued the recent King Learstarring Glenda Jackson with a multi-cultural cast. “My intention was to cast actors regardless of their ethnicity because I believe human experience is not exclusive but rather transcendental in nature,” writes Chen. When the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s pre-recorded voice soars as the company takes its bows, their lack of vocal prowess is that much more evident. Clarity won’t bring life to the score, though, which features hefty contributions by Sia. It doesn’t help that Brandon Wolcott’s sound design offers a simultaneously muddy and tinny amplification of spoken dialogue and song. ![]() It is in these moments - sometimes ritualistic and meditative and at others fiercely dynamic and athletic - that Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise finds its footing.īut even with the entire company of 20 performers on stage, The McCourt feels ghostly. In addition to its many head-scratching incongruities, Chen’s globally assembled company is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, except for their execution of Akram Khan’s movement choreography and Zhang Jun martial arts choreography. Set designer Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams has created an environment that looks more like Krypton than Queens, with suspended panels of fabric, a lone metal staircase to nowhere, and a multi-level stage that looks like a topographic map. In the second act (with mother and daughter resurrected) the siblings are now teenagers practicing martial arts under different tutelage, eventually reuniting to do battle against their father and save the world - from what, we never really know. Presented in two acts, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise follows a marriage gone awry when Doug attempts to murder Lone Peak’s daughter (PeiJu Chien-Pott) and one of their twin babies so he can become master of this mystical world (otherwise known as Flushing, Queens). That mainstream commercial sensibility undermines the core of Chen’s concept by turning the work into theme park fodder. ![]() Courtesy The Shed.)Ĭhen’s work features additional contributions by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, co-writers and producers of family-friendly films such as TROLLS and the Kung Fu Panda series. PeiJu Chien-Pott with members of the chorus in ‘Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise.’ (Photo: Stephanie Berger. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |