Darren Stewart-Jones
I love anything to do with old Hollywood, especially MGM musicals. I feel fortunate to have seen Gene Kelly: The Legacy in Toronto last year. In that show, Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, recounts wonderful anecdotes from her late husband's life and career interpolated with film footage from his movies.
Anatomy of a Dancer: The Life of a Song & Dance Man is a similar type of show. It's a tribute to Gene Kelly told through choreography. A cast of eight dancers and two narrators/vocalists take us on a journey through Kelly's life from his early days in Pittsburgh to his time on Broadway and finally to Hollywood, where he starred in the films For Me And My Gal, An American In Paris and Singin' In The Rain to name just a few.
The show has wonderful choreography by Adam Martino, assisted by Leah Cameron. The eight dancers perform said choreography beautifully, with each of the four male dancers, rather than just one, given the opportunity to play Kelly at different moments throughout the show. All four - Micah Enzlin, Matthew Eldracher, Sam Black and Rohan Dhupar - had a chance to shine and impress an enthusiastic, responsive audience.
Robbie Fenton's vocals and Stephanie Visconti's dancing in her portrayal of Judy Garland were definite highlights for me. My only criticism is that I wish the screen at the back of the stage had been used to display more visuals or colours. Otherwise, Anatomy of a Dancer makes for a very entertaining show. And I've heard rumours that Patricia Ward Kelly herself might grace the production with her presence during its Toronto Fringe run.
Tickets and info for all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
I love anything to do with old Hollywood, especially MGM musicals. I feel fortunate to have seen Gene Kelly: The Legacy in Toronto last year. In that show, Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, recounts wonderful anecdotes from her late husband's life and career interpolated with film footage from his movies.
Anatomy of a Dancer: The Life of a Song & Dance Man is a similar type of show. It's a tribute to Gene Kelly told through choreography. A cast of eight dancers and two narrators/vocalists take us on a journey through Kelly's life from his early days in Pittsburgh to his time on Broadway and finally to Hollywood, where he starred in the films For Me And My Gal, An American In Paris and Singin' In The Rain to name just a few.
The show has wonderful choreography by Adam Martino, assisted by Leah Cameron. The eight dancers perform said choreography beautifully, with each of the four male dancers, rather than just one, given the opportunity to play Kelly at different moments throughout the show. All four - Micah Enzlin, Matthew Eldracher, Sam Black and Rohan Dhupar - had a chance to shine and impress an enthusiastic, responsive audience.
Robbie Fenton's vocals and Stephanie Visconti's dancing in her portrayal of Judy Garland were definite highlights for me. My only criticism is that I wish the screen at the back of the stage had been used to display more visuals or colours. Otherwise, Anatomy of a Dancer makes for a very entertaining show. And I've heard rumours that Patricia Ward Kelly herself might grace the production with her presence during its Toronto Fringe run.
Tickets and info for all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
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