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Last Updated: Oct 21st, 2007 - 09:55:08 |
Exciting, innovative and cohesive are adjectives usually used to describe hot new Broadway musicals. Unfortunately, a few of these adjectives are lost on Maurice Hines’s new dance musical “Hot Feet.” Even with a cast of fantastic dancers and the musical styling of Maurice White (vocalist and songwriter of the famed R&B group Earth, Wind and Fire), “Hot Feet” sometimes fails to ignite.
Adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Red Shoes, and the 1940’s ballet film of the same title, this stage incarnation centers on a character named Kalimba, an impoverished young dancer who aspires to perform with the acclaimed Serpentine Fire Dance Company. Victor Serpentine (Mel Johnson, Jr.), the company’s artistic director, has made a pact with a Mephistopheles-like character Louie (Allen Hidalgo) in order for his dance company to be successful. Serpentine chooses Kalimba as the dancer that can breathe life into his unseen ballet, “Hot Feet.” As always, a price must be paid for quick success.
The production, though energetic with flashes of brilliance, fails to provide a strong basic story line that brings cohesion to all the subplots. The book by Heru Ptah is littered with catchy one-liners, aims for easy humor, but doesn’t illuminate characters or add expediency to the plot. Although most of the vocalists are embedded in the orchestra pit and are not seen until the final curtain call, the show does not have a “canned” music sound. The dance numbers, though good overall, lean toward “pull out all the stops” choreography. The dance sequences to Fantasy,” “Shining Star” and “Boogie Wonderland,” however, are superb.
Hines should be celebrated for his mastery of dance styles ranging from the rhythmic body isolations of hip-hop to the sensual undulations of Dunham technique and modern jazz. And the exuberance and commitment of the talented and highly trained dancers cannot be denied. Not since Bob Fosse’s “Dancing” or Michael Bennett’s “Dreamgirls” has Broadway experienced such electric dance performances.
Kalimba is ably portrayed by Broadway newcomer Vivian Nixon, who is the dance discovery of the 2006 Broadway season. Completely filling the theatre with her joyous presence, this true child of the stage moves easily through various dance styles, never hitting an awkward position. She inhabits every movement or choreographic flourish as if it were an organic response to the soulful tunes of Earth, Wind & Fire. The “Fantasy” pas de deux between Nixon and Michael Balderrama (Anthony) is everything a romantic dance should be; sensual, instinctive and, foremost, believable: two distinct bodies connecting and dancing as one, expressing emotion through supportive, articulated movement.
Allen Hidalgo as Louie combines the right mix of sinister intent with urban humor to make his character interesting and believable. Hildalgo shifts flawlessly between street vernacular and a Nuyorican patois. He also has the best one-liners in the show. “When you get to hell, talk about hot feet,” giggles Louie, describing Victor Serpentine’s ultimate destination.
Mel Johnson’s Victor Serpentine is the most underdeveloped character of the production. Johnson’s talents as an actor are entirely underused. Johnson, with his authoritative presence, attempts to make something out of Ptah’s weak dialogue, but his performance, and the performance of Keith David--the original Victor Serpentine in this production--is hindered by the weightless script. Johnson, with his deep baritone, however, does a fine job serenading Kalimba with Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love.”
Even though there are glaring missteps in “Hot Feet,” the combination of Earth, Wind and Fire’s classic jams, breathtaking performance of Nixon and explosive choreography by Hines make for a highly enjoyable evening. In this new genre of pop music-inspired musicals, “Hot Feet,” if not hot, is certainly warm and fuzzy.
© Copyright 2006 SeeingBlack.com
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