Procrastination: An Electronic Operetta
Procrastination: An Electronic Operetta
Written, produced and choreographed by Sunny Raskin
SUNNYSIDE UP Productions
Orange Venue, 2010 Orlando International Fringe Festival</strong>
Loved the dancing, hated the music. This set-heavy collection of dance numbers felt like the Sunny Raskin show for the first half hour, she does most of the principle dancing in the beginning before yielding the spot light to her Procrastinettes. These are all skilled if not mind blowing dancers, and the choreography is well suited to their skills. Some favorites are “On Your Knees” with Raskin in an enormous dress with 7 other dancers under her skirt. They advance on the audience like a giant octopus while and waving cardboards signs with block print words. It’s pretty cool. The later number “Glitter Bird” features Kristen Joe on an Acrobat’s hoop suspended from the most flimsy structure I’ve ever seen on a professional stage. Dancers shouldn’t do carpentry, and while I enjoyed the dance, four dancers barely stabilized a structure that would scare OSHA. Most interestingly, the penultimate number “TIME” was my first experience with a motivational time management program presented as modern dance. I may not be flexible enough to organize my life this efficiently.
Musically, most of the songs sounded the same. A cello player and a blond violinist traded arpeggios from the balcony with a guitar and trumpet helping out occasionally. Vocalist ALEX (it’s all caps in the program, I’m sure his mother didn’t make that choice) provided a near constant ululation which combined with the rambling sting music became annoying by the second dance. Fortunately local guitar master Joseph Martens provided relief, his medley of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “I Will Always Love You” soared, as did Alex more soulful “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.” The program calls the number “My Bunny”, but I vote “typo.” It’s an interesting show, but more variation and structure in the music would help keep the focus on the dancers.
This event is part of the 2010 Orlando International Fringe Festival. For schedule and ticket information, please visit http://OrlandoFringe.org
