On Stage: Attack-ing the Pittsburgh Symphony

February 7, 2012

Family-oriented entertainment takes many forms, from Disney to Stravinsky. “Stravinsky?” you might say.” Ruler of rhythmic diversity? Terrorist with time signatures? Sultan of musical sarcasm?”

But Attack Theatre has never let musical complexities get in the way. This is a company that relishes the live aspect of it all, feeling that juicy, sink-your-teeth-into-it music, whatever the genre, rock, jazz, Baroque or classical, can go a long way towards elevating the dance experience.

Perhaps that was the reason that the Attackers once again paired with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. It’s always been fruitful for both organizations, even though the PSO is more traditionally entrenched and Attack Theatre is an open artistic book. But the mutual respect was always there.

Along the way, they’ve engaged each other in a community project at the New Hazlett Theater and various Holiday Pops concerts. But one of their most successful interactions was Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale), first performed in 2005 at Heinz Hall with conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman. The stage director then was Opera Theater of Pittsburgh’s Jonathan Eaton.

Jonathan was on board once more last week, this time updating the text to include the likes of “subprime mortgages” and “FDIC-insured” in a performance at Pittsburgh Opera’s facilities in the Strip District. The event at the Pittsburgh Opera facility in the Strip District was a first look at an upcoming tour to select high schools in the area, followed by performances with the Erie and Asheville symphony orchestras.

The audience was limited to 100 lucky viewers, but the creativity was boundless. It began with recorded music, the Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil, a clever way to put the crowd on alert with a rockin’ prelude to a wonderfully astute morality play.

For the record, the Stravinsky work focused on a soldier (Dane Toney) who fell prey to the Devil (played by a trio of women — Liz Chang, Michele de la Reza and Ashley Williams, who did double duty as the Princess). The dramatic lines were led by narrator Peter Kope, but shared by all with clear articulation and a measured pace. (Certainly vocal coach Claire Syler was a wise investment.)

In the end, the soldier didn’t get what he wanted, the moral being that the grass is not always greener. Or in the Biblical context, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

With such a rich music and dance landscape, the production used few props, with a table (one of Attack’s favorite devices) and a couple of chairs being most prominent and Maribeth Maxa’s costumes giving everything a colorful dash of whimsy. It was all in keeping with the original intent — keeping things simple and light and portable.

Peter’s direction drove home the point without hammering it. (There isn’t an arts organization that I’ve come across that maintains such artistic integrity in an educational milieu.) This is the way art should be, able to give us a smart perspective on a composer like Stravinsky, who inches closer to the middle ground every time I hear his music. It’s nice to know how far listeners have come in accepting him (and how much he is copied in the music world, which could account for something).

Educational opportunity? Family entertainment? Yes, but I saw some real music sophisticates who were mesmerized by the hour-long performance.

That’s saying something.

Just for the record, the terrific PSO ensemble consisted of Dennis O’Boyle, violin; John Moore, bass; Ronald Samuels, clarinet; David Sogg, bassoon; Neal Berntsen, trumpet; Peter Sullivan, trombone and Jeremy Branson, percussion. And photos are by Rebecca Himberger, whose job title is a mouthful: Associate Director, Marketing & Corporate Partnerships.

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On Stage: Attack-ing Pitt

January 2, 2012

It’s a phenomenon alright. More and more companies are encouraging their dancers to participate in the creative act of choreography. The Kelly-Strayhorn promotes independent choreographers from Pittsburgh’s dancerly ranks. Just this fall Point Park University presented student choreography and Bodiography its annual Multiplicity program at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. At Bodiography the dancers thought long and hard about their conceptual direction (a good thing), plus artistic director Maria Caruso performed a solo and long-time member Lauren Suflita Skrabalak (it was so good to see her again!) unveiled a new interest in choreography.

But Attack Theatre has come up with a new wrinkle. The company has joined forces  (via a grant) with the University of Pittsburgh’s graduate program in music composition. The organizations presented an informal concert at the Pittsburgh Opera space in the Strip District that had a surprisingly finished look about it.

For the record, there were seven composers, many of them playing in the evening’s live accompaniment, another plus. For the record, they were Matt Aelmore, Aaron Brooks, Chris Capizzi, Bomi Jang, Jonghee Kang, Charles Lwanga and Sookyung Sui. Those composers were paired (not necessarily in this order) with choreographers Jeff Davis, Michele de la Reza, Peter Kope (twice), Michael Walsh, Ashley Williams and the dynamic duo Renee Smith and Jamie Murphy.

The variety was terrific, from de la Reza’s delicious partnering in “Playback” (Brooks) to the gentle jazz of “Scenes,” where Williams captured a rainy afternoon (Capizzi). Davis had a whimsical touch in “Gifts From the Sea” (Kang) and Kope and Aelmore combined for a nonsensical solo for Toney, probably the audience favorite.

Shades of Merce Cunningham, Attack took some existing phrases and repurposed them  to the new music to lighten the load on the dancers (a good thing because Toney was in four of the seven works and the Attack dancers had just completed Holiday Unwrapped and PO’S Pearl Fishers). Hope it becomes an annual event, and, signaled by the inclusion of choreographers Murphy, Smith and Walsh and dancers Kaitlin Dann, Shana Simmons and Jessica Marino, grows to include more from the dance community.

 

 

 

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Off Stage: Donna Goyak on Attack

November 1, 2011

We always saw the friendly face of Attack Theatre through projects from Bag Attack Boogaloo to Japanese composer Somei Satoh. It was that scintillating blend of fierce and fun-tabulous, quirky and quick-witted that attracted new audiences and sustained them over the past 16 years. But as freewheeling as this company seemed on the face of things, there was an assortment of very smart choices going on behind the scenes to keep Attack afloat.

And it all began at the Warhol.

During his off-hours at Dance Alloy, Peter Kope was working as an art handler at the Andy Warhol Museum, preparing for its opening exhibition in 1994. So was Donna Goyak.

They made up half of a four-person team, a project that was “a lot of work, but a fun year,” according to Donna. That phrase would be a harbinger of the future. While waiting for a shipment, the pair would “sit and talk and plan and think” about Peter’s dream — to formulate a site-specific dance company of their own.

As a result, Donna became “fast friends” with Peter and Michele, his partner and Alloy member who was getting a Masters of Science in Developmental Movement/Motor Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.

When the Warhol opened, Peter and Michele were back at the Alloy, while Donna went to the Pittsburgh Sports and Festival Federation, a new organization that was designed to create special events Downtown under Mayor Sophie Masloff’s administration.

With Jaime Todd, she co-founded First Night Pittsburgh and called Peter and Michele to help with the programming. Donna recalls that they were actually going to print with the program when she told them, “C’mon guys, I need a name.”

And Attack Theatre was born.

Maybe it was because they planned that Bag Attack Boogaloo and something called Kazoo Theatre, but the name seemed to symbolize their embracing way with the arts. The friends went on to do a lot of projects. The 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Dollar Bank Jeopardy. The Persian Gulf War Welcome Home Parade.

just had to ask, “Here’s the situation — what can you do with this?” And off they went. She notes, “They’re very creative in that way.” So she relied on them for each subsequent First Night and more.

Then Donna moved to the state of Washington, but never lost touch. She brought Peter and Michele out to lecture in the schools and do First Night Tacoma performances. Throughout that time, she remained “a friend and an advisor of sorts.”

Donna was one of the stakeholders when Peter and Michele decide to go to non-profit status in 2004. It was a question they had been asking for a year.

“It was the right thing to do, analyzing the kind of work they were doing and the kind of attitude they had,” she explains. “Just about every dollar they earned went back into their authentic and deep commitment to community engagement and arts education. By their very nature, they fit all the criteria that makes it a good non-profit, what a non-profit should be for the benefit of the community. For all of those reasons, it was the right decision to make.”

Attack moved from 937 Liberty Avenue to Penn Avenue in Garfield. In the meantime, Donna had been making a living as an “intentional interim executive,” working with organizations that were in transitions or crises for a defined period of time.

One day Peter and Michele called and asked what she was doing. Actually Donna had just concluded with an organization in Cleveland. Coincidentally Attack’s general manager had just left. So Donna came in and did an analysis of where the company was. She recognized that what they were suffering from was “a crisis of opportunity” and assessed that it would take a number of years to capitalize on that opportunity.

Donna didn’t want to be an interim anymore. After being the “Mary Poppins of non-profits,” just flitting around, she wanted to be closer to Pittsburgh and her family. So she said, “Let’s do this.”

She came on board as general director (or “director general,” as she is fond of calling herself.) It seemed like she had always been there.

“I’m farsighted — I look further down the road and work creatively at absolving any potential problems looming on the horizon,” Donna says, fittingly content with this organization. “We’re very good at making course corrections and we proudly ended every year in the black. So we’ve been able to manage the ebbs and flows of the economy — we seize opportunities when we have them and change plans when it doesn’t wind up the way we had predicted.”

“There’s a skill in being able to sustain a company,” she continues. “Be light on your feet.”

The dance allusion is totally appropriate because people are constantly surprised at how small the company administration is, given its large footprint on the Pittsburgh arts and education scene. Marketing department? Accounts Payable? Fundraising? Donna and Rebecca Himberger, associate director marketing & corporate partnerships,  just pass the phone back and forth.

Attack has also truly remained on the attack in other ways.They’ve added two part-time positions — finance and development associate Jennifer Macasek and operations coordinator Sean Holsing, who they share with Pittsburgh Opera. And new dancer Simon Thomas-Train joined the company.

“It went from Peter and Michele working out of their kitchen to  now sharing this beautiful facility with the Pittsburgh Opera,” Donna says happily. “No utilities, no shoveling snow, no fixing toilets. So we’ve come a long way.”

Work and play often mix in this small, tight-knit arts organization. “I’m never miserable,” Donna admits. “But I’m often overworked.”

And she probably wouldn’t want it any other way.

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On Stage: An Italian Twist on China

April 5, 2011

Photos by David Bachman

I’m not a fan of “park and bark” operas, where the singing occurs virtually at a standstill. I think that, by its epic nature, opera needs to have both sweep and variation to achieve its full impact.

So it was with great interest that I attended Pittsburgh Opera’s “Turandot,” mainly because of the dynamic team, Renaud Doucet and  Andre Barbe. Apparently these two have a pair of “Turnadots” up their sleeve according to Post-Gazette classical music critic Andrew Druckenbrod — one innovative version set in the world of insects and the other a more traditional production that they unveiled in a PO world premiere.

But I’ll stick to Mr. Doucet, who was the director/choreographer (Mr. Barbe handled the spectacular costumes and sets). There have been a number of eminent choreographers who have crossed over into opera — Mark Morris and Trisha Brown immediately come to mind.

Actually it’s a natural for opera because a choreographer not only works with movement, both ensemble and a more natural method for soloists, but is also aware of the impact that stillness can bring. And a choreographer is also well aware of theatrical threads.

Mr. Doucet used a whole range of techniques available to him — a beautiful pseudo- Asian dance full of rhythmic stomping, comic relief amid vaudevillian routines for ministers Ping, Pang and Pong and appropriate crowd movement (including dancers with a quartet of flagpoles attached to their backs) that gave this opera a truly sumptuous look rarely seen in Pittsburgh. And yes, when the aria warranted it, the singers stood in place and gave themselves to the music.

While the sets and costumes were magnificent, Mr. Doucet’s vision was the heart of the production. Puccini’s story was an amalgamation of elements in that the story  itself was an Italian interpretation of a Chinese story and not necessarily accurate.

But Mr. Doucet capitalized on that and it emerged as a strength. He adopted the same style and emerged victorious in combining time references, like folk and vaudevillian. But since they were done so well with a true artistic flair all their own, it only succeeded in giving this “Turandot” both audience appeal and a discerning stature.

 

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Dance Beat: Women Rock, Wilde PBT, Point Park, NSAL Erie

November 5, 2010

WOMEN ROCK! We know they do and Dress for Success Pittsburgh underscored that with its second annual event at the August Wilson Center. Although DFSP primary goal was to honor the women that it serves, giving them support in facing a challenging life transition, it was great to see local Pittsburgh artists giving their support. Among them were husband and wife duo Laurie Klatscher and Gregory Lahane, appearing together for the first time in 30 years in Tammy Ryan’s charming play, “DINKS,” directed by Marci Woodruff, and a trio of female (what else?) singers Phat Man Dee, Gena and Kenia. But I was there for Attack Theatre, which had a couple of thoughtful contributions to the festivities. Ashley Williams and Peter Kope danced beautifully together in “Mobias,” while Pittsburgh Opera artists Shannon Kessler Dooley, vocalist, and James Lesniak, piano, skillfully provided “Lascia chi’o pianga” from “Rinaldo.” Think of it  – two men providing support for two women! Then a compelling Michele de la Reza resurrected a solo — so appropriately — from “The Fitting Room.”

Photo by Rich Sofranko

PRIX DE LAUSANNE. The people at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School are jumping (or saute-ing) for joy over the news that Aviana Adams and Anwen David are two of 80 dancers who qualified for the renowned Prix de Lausanne (out of more than 300 applicants). The Prix, a competition for non-professional dancers 15-18, selected two female dancers from only PBT in America. So this could be considered quite a feather in PBTS’ cap. Pittsburghers will be able to root for the duo via live streaming in February. In the meantime, check out the complete list of dancers on the Prix website.

Photo by Rich Sofranko

PPPCP. That stands for Point Park Pittsburgh Connections Podcast. The local university has an interview with one of the choreographers (with Pittsburgh connections, of course) for the upcoming production beginning Nov. 12 (see Listings). For insight on Craig Kaufman’s new work, “A Path Home,” click on Connections.

WILDE EARLY DAYS. Talking with Patricia Wilde is like slicing into a piece of ballet history. At our latest chat, she  reminisced about her very first job with the Marquis de Cuevas’ Ballet International. She recalled sitting during the entire month of July while Bronislava Nijinska “banged on my shoulders.” The dancers were sitting on chairs in a circle at a Carnegie Hall studio rehearsing “Bolero.”  ”She would come and beat on your shoulders to give you the rhythm,” she recalled. “And she had this long cigarette holder, so the ash would be falling in your lap.” Patricia had to be no more than 15 at the time. Ah, the good old days…

NSAL CHAUTAUQUA. I wrote about the National Society of Arts and Letters solo competition as it pertains to the Pittsburgh area (click on Pittsburgh). But those of you who live in the Chautauqua area have a similar opportunity sponsored by the Chautauqua Area Chapter of NSAL, which will take place on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at The American Academy of Ballet in Williamsville (Buffalo), New York. Information about the national competition can be found by clicking on NSAL. Email Dance Chair Bonnie Crosby at padanz66@yahoo.com with any questions.

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On Stage: The Dirty Ball

April 28, 2010

I’ve been labeled a lot of things over the years. But there I was, “The ballsiest,” according to my pin I was given at Attack Theatre’s Dirty Ball, held last weekend in the combined space of the Sports Rock Cafe, Vegas on the Strip and Pharoah’s nightclubs in the Strip District (real bathrooms this year!). That meant that I had attended all five Dirty Balls “and counting”…

They were, from the start, a hit, from the first at an empty city apartment space, where the last-minute crowd overwhelmed the small food pickings. What made it such a success? Well, Attack managed to push all the right buttons. Just the very thought, a Dirty Ball, brings out the marginal badness that the usually conservative Pittsburghers harbor. It was seductive, from the dirty martinis to the dirty secrets, with a high fun factor.

Gradually the audiences have grown from the original 300 or so to more than 1000 this year. The audience is half the show, from teasing bustiers to full-fledged drag. But the Attackers themselves go all out to give attendees their money’s worth, so that it’s not only than a ball, but more like a site-specific performance. The deejays are always terrific and the drinks are included in the price of admission. Although the food always played second fiddle, although there were some downright tasty options this year.

For the VIPs, Richard Parsakian decorated a room with plush red and zebra-striped fabrics, along with deliciously naughty accoutrements. Dancers undulated in nooks and crannies there and in the other spaces, where I loved a display of stacked chairs.

Then there are the rolling showcases, 15 in all in honor of Attack’s birthday. Because the venue was separated into three rooms, the sometimes overlapping schedule kept the pace moving. So Michele de la Reza and company had to move easily from meet-and-greet to move-and-groove.

The company is flirting with nudity this season, partly because of its new home at Pittsburgh Opera in the Strip District and, of course, the idea of a birthday suit. Liz Chang came closest with a softly-lit solo. There were sexy duos, too, most notably between Peter Kope and Dane Toney , with some lotion andand a stripper pole and a menage a trois, deftly handled. Although hampered by some acoustical problems that muffled his transcendent talents, cellist Dave Eggar poured his talents into a rocking set, ably accompanied by percussionist Charlie Palmer.

The finale was spot on — “Dirty Dancing,” of course, with the women channeling their inner Baby and most of the women in the audience singing right along. Dirty never goes out of style.

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On Stage: A Moving “Carmen”

March 25, 2010

Although it isn’t my usual performance milieu, I ventured to Pittsburgh Opera’s production of “Carmen” with the prospect of seeing some tidbits from Attack Theatre dancers Ashley Williams and Dane Toney. It turned out that they added an air of destiny in their trio of duets rather than performing in dance showcases that pepper most operas. But there was a bonus. Attack directors Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope also had a hand in working on movement with the “Carmen” leads, so I was interested in the results in this production.

As I understand it, Pittsburgh Opera general director Christopher Hahn has a philosophy that blends the various elements for which opera is known — singing, music, acting and dance. The first two are the artistic staples for this art form’s epic-urean delights. Acting often takes a back seat to volume-inous singers who stand there and literally give a shout out. Knowledgeable audiences wax poetic on high notes, phrasing, tone, register et. al. — and that will never change. There can be nothing more thrilling than the unadorned outpouring of the human voice.

The music, at its best, supports that notion. Puccini, Rossini, Bellini, Verdi and Wagner all produced work that stand the test of time. They are judged for the overall content of each opera, but it is the arias, with melodies often sweeping and/or uplifting, that are often remembered with a special adoration. And so it is with Bizet’s “Carmen,” filled with soaring melodies that, a handful of which, at the very least, rank near the top of opera’s greatest hits.

But too often the singing and music are not in sync with the other operatic elements, allowing for a fractured theatrical experience for audience members. Perhaps that’s because my first look at operatic gusto came at the long-gone, but not forgotten Syria Mosque in the Pittsburgh Opera’s “Samson and Delilah,” where Samson stalked the stage in elevator sandals and Delilah took to her chaise like a beached whale. A very young Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre ensemble swept onto the stage for the “Bacchanale” in bikini outfits. I also noticed that most of the orchestra members (Pittsburgh Symphony in those days) in the open orchestra pit had memorized the music and faced the stage, rather than the venerable conductor Richard Karp, to watch.

Since then I have had a “show me” relationship with the opera. I most appreciate it when there is a sense of reality to the movement, because the movement does not lie. It doesn’t have to be an “official” dance, but a staging that takes advantage of an authenticity in the movements of the singers. For that reason, I was moved to tears by Pittsburgh Opera’s production of “Grapes of Wrath” last season.

The music in “Carmen” is a special case because it is eminently danceable. (And it’s worthwhile to note that the Pittsburgh Opera’s eminently watchable Antony Walker, too, veritably dances while conducting.) Perhaps for that reason, Hahn chose a relatively young cast, all physically attractive, and possessed with clearly-drawn, if not huge voices.

Their playground was a balcony set that made for some tricky entrances and exits because the chorus had to funnel onto a narrow and very steep staircase that was awkwardly located off to one side. However, it was versatile for the various set changes and made wonderful sense for the fourth act, where the bullfighting was located behind the back wall.

“Carmen” lends itself to various historical interpretations and it appeared that director Eric Einhorn chose to render 1830 Seville with sepia sensibility a la “Les Miserables” (particularly in the mountain pass of the third act), which served to soften the story of Spanish gypsies singing and speaking in French.

To Einhorn’s credit, he lightened the opera’s tone in the first act as the cigarette girls came out from their break, a number of them puffing cigarettes. (It was strange how socially-incorrect behavior could be turned into a  plus.) Carmen (or Carmencita) was sultry but not slutty, strong-willed but not the usual over-the-top force of nature. You might say that the sense of swirling cigarette smoke, and not stereotypical Spanish bravado, defined the production from then onward. These were real people, heightened by their dramatic situation.

While the movement for the ensemble was not as strong as it might have been, the stage direction for the leads created a wonderfully intimate setting on the Benedum Center stage, enabling the audience to identify with these Carmen, Don Jose, Escamillo and more. The movement was a marvel, blending seamlessly with the stage direction and particularly effective as Kate Aldrich’s Carmen enticed and embroiled her men.

And when the final act came around with its most emotional musical passages, Einhorn willingly returned to more usual operatic conventions, letting the soloists remain stationary and the music to the talking. By then the characters were so well-drawn that the audience cared about their emotions. And that made Carmen’s murder, so well-staged, that much more effective and a surprise (to say the least), even if you knew it was coming.

While there are certain operas that will probably best be produced in traditional fashion (“Aida” comes to mind), I prefer a more conceptual approach, even if this “Carmen” was occasionally imperfect. If given my druthers, I would rather have “well-focused” singers who move and act well than the powerhouses who stand there and fill the house, albeit with artifice. And I think I represent the untapped masses of potential opera-goers out there.

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