8:48 PM
CMonster
As dancers, performance routines revolve around strict choreography and specific body movements. Acting and creating nonverbal dialogue usually is not part of the equation, or at least Dennis Davis did not think so.
"In concert pieces everything is set, but with this you kind of have to think on your toes at all times," Dennis said.
Dennis, a sophomore dance major, enters the world of acting with the Conservatory Dance Company as they wrap up the semester with the saucy, sassy show "The Jazz Nutcracker," opening Dec. 9 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
"The Jazz Nutcracker," created by Point Park University's own Douglas Bentz, brings a mature, sexy edge to the original Nutcracker ballet typically seen on the stage. According to the press release sent by Chris Hays, marketing director for the Conservatory of Performing Arts, the show is set on Christmas Eve in the 1950s, when a group of retired performers gather together to celebrate and reminisce about the old days.
Clara, whose parents had a famous song and dance act, seems to be the center of the party. She receives gifts from many of the performers, including her "Uncle" Drosselmeyer, a hypnotist. Drosselmeyer gives Clara the gift of a nutcracker, of which he says has special powers to become humanlike. Drosselmeyer transforms the Nutcracker into a "human" and then takes Clara and the Cadet (Nutcracker) on an enchanted adventure to an underground nightclub.
In the "Act II Cabaret," the performers from the first act recreate their acts on the stage at the cabaret and Clara and the Cadet bond in the dreamy, fun-filled adventure that will leave audiences wondering: was it all a dream?
"The Jazz Nutcracker" brings to the stage a "sultry slew of characters," including the parallel to the original Sugar Plum Fairy, the "Sugar Rum Cherry," and the parallel to the Chinese section in the original, "Hong Kong Charlie," Davis' character.
Davis, like many of the other dancers, had to learn to act out the part, which included learning real magic tricks and learning to become a "slick trickster play boy," as he calls it. He had to learn the demeanor of a womanizer, like in one instance where he comes into the club with a date and ends up flirting with other girls.
Other dancers also transform themselves on stage, like senior dance major James Barrett, who plays the role of the Cadet/Nutcracker. When the Nutcracker transforms into a "human," Barrett comes out on stage both dressed and moving like a wooden Nutcracker.
To don the look of a real Nutcracker, Barrett's skin will be airbrushed white, and his movements at first will be stiff and awkward. Barrett describes it as almost doing the popular "robot" dance for the majority of his movements. In some cases, he even falls down to further personify a Nutcracker coming to life as a real Cadet.
"It's really difficult actually to keep that stiff for so long," Barrett said about his time as a wooden man. "Everything in your body kind of tightens up after a while."
Perhaps the most difficult, or rather, intimidating transformation into character is that of junior dance major BenjaminBelhumeur. He plays Drosselmeyer, the favorite "uncle" of Clara, who is also the character that Doug Bentz played when he performed in "The Jazz Nutcracker." As a result, Belhumeur has been expected to perform in rehearsal at a higher maturity level than he has ever had to before, but he does not mind the challenge.
"Stepping into [Bentz's] shoes has been quite an honor," Belhumeur said.
As dancers, the cast of "The Jazz Nutcracker" does not get to act on a regular basis, but as the show's opening grows nearer, their characters are evolving as they learn to "communicate without moving our mouths and speak with our eyes," according to Davis. As some found it easy to act from the beginning, others like Davis found it to be quite an adjustment.
"You have to have personality, you have to act, you can't let your character down once … and then you still have to dance on top of all that," he said.
Overall, the cast of "The Jazz Nutcracker" is ready to put on an entertaining show that is, according to Barrett, "noticeably Christmas."
"I want people to leave the theater happy and ready to enjoy the holidays," Barrett said.
"It's a really fun, upbeat show and I just want everyone to enjoy it."
"The Jazz Nutcracker" runs over the weekends of Dec. 9 through Dec. 11 and Dec. 16 through Dec. 18 in the Rockwell Theater at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Showtimes are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box at (412) 392-8000 or online atwww.pittsburghplayhouse.com.
Published: Monday, December 5, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 20:12
Posted in: cinema,COPA,Point Park University,The Globe
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