To those who are gnashing their teeth when they see this right now: message in a bottlea new tour of the West End dance show featuring the music of Sting, or for anyone thinking Another amazing jukebox musical!?…Please forgive me in advance for the reaction.
Of course, jukebox musicals are as plentiful as pigeon droppings on the Great White Way, and often share similar qualities. Still, that doesn’t stop producers from flooding Broadway and the West End with musicals overstuffed with pop music hits and underwritten plots. On the contrary, it may add to its appeal. Tourists love walking into theaters to affirm their fandom and see shows that don’t evoke deeper thought or empathy.
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message in a bottle, a British dance musical making its North American premiere at the Hollywood Pantages, bucks that trend.A fully pre-recorded soundtrack of solo hits from both Sting and the Police is used, and although the performers don’t say a single word on stage, the show invites emotion from the audience and even think What about its content? That’s not to say it’s groundbreaking, but it’s certainly a refreshing anomaly in an age of increasingly pandering greatest hits shows.
Directed and choreographed by Kate Prince, message in a bottle This is the story of a family living in a remote desert country. Their idyllic life is interrupted by violence, and the rise of a dictatorship forces them to flee abroad in search of a new homeland. Once they reach land again, they endure life in refugee camps as violent as the homes they fled. Corruption, prostitution, and trauma all affect their hearts as they struggle to hold on to their love and hope that they can find peace and happiness again.
If the summary sounds general, it is: The dance nature of the show precludes deep details about the characters and their situations. Here everything happens in pantomime against a minimalist set. The production owes a great deal to the lighting design by Natasha Chivers, which creates an atmosphere that recontextualizes Sting’s music.
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it can’t be prevented message in a bottle Of course, “Roxanne” is about a character forced into prostitution, while “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” is a literal commentary on gang violence.How to use these obvious songs please do not The fact that it elicits laughter from the audience is a testament to Prince’s directing ability. message in a bottle uses pop songs, but that doesn’t mean the audience can’t take them seriously. Other songs are better. “The Englishman in New York,” which celebrates queer heir Quentin Crisp, is the setting for a culture shock. “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” evolves from a heartbreak ballad to one character’s post-traumatic stress nightmare.
But the big innovation here comes from Prince’s choreography.Like Jerome Robbins’ masterpiece, this movement message in a bottle It somehow manages to convey the characters and the plot. This dance reveals personality dynamics, both in how the performers dance with and against each other. The characters feel distinct and their relationships have specificity. Viewers get to know these characters and even care about them. message in a bottle It may have devolved into exaggerated virtue signaling. To the credit of Prince and her cast of extraordinary dancers, this story always feels sincere.
message in a bottle Balancing pop entertainment and avant-garde expressionism, they fuse the two into performances that are both intimate and provocative. Her lean two hours never drag, and Sting’s songs remain as radio-friendly as ever, but the cast’s dedication injects new drama. Jukebox musicals don’t have a reputation for depth or challenging plots; message in a bottle We tell stories with true emotional power that overturn conventional wisdom, move us, and, above all, deserve to be seen.
Rating: 8 out of 10.
Message in a Bottle will run at the Hollywood Pantages Theater until February 11th, then at Denver’s Buell Theater (February 13th-25th) and Chicago’s Cadillac Theater (February 13th-25th). It will be performed from March 28th to March 3rd). The date is Official tour website.
