Cautionary tales and all that: Beware of substitutions. This is the correct link to enra’s work. Who’s enra? This: http://enra.jp/
Direction and music by Nobuyuki Hanabusa, performed and choreographed by Saya Watatani and Maki Yokoyama, animation by Seiya Ishii.
Stunningly beautiful.
Comments closedWhat would happen if the laws of gravity changed?
Taking advantage of the camera’s viewpoint and some exceptionally creative and athletic perspective adjustments, LEO, the brainchild of Montréal actor and director Daniel Briére, based on an original idea by Tobias Wegner, asks the question. For more about LEO and other works, go here: http://boatrockerentertainment.com/
Check it out!
Comments closedBest use of EL wiring ever. Enhanced Dubstep dance moves, and some spectacular choreography and you’ve got this jaw-dropping performance.
Over 15.5 million people agree with me.
Check it out.
Comments closedI’m not a huge fan of Rowan Atkinson, and Hugh Laurle is best known these days for his work on House, but watch this. It’s hilarious.
Take Shakespeare and pop him into modern times and you’d see this very conversation.
Really. You never saw Hamlet like this.
Swallow first or don’t blame me later.
Comments closedYes! This, folks, is THE RSC (that is, the Reduced Shakespeare Company, an in-joke you get best when you’ve had ANY exposure to the London theatre scene). Not to be confused with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Really.)
I attempted to see this show when I was there in 1992, but by the time I found the darkened corner of the West End, we were halfway through the show and I hate walking in late. Fortunately, they’ve been to the Kennedy Center multiple times, and now I have the (autographed – HAH!) script of the show. Of course, it’s not as zany (or as wet, if you sit near the front of the stage) but I’ll take it anyway.
Another compilation of Shakespeare’s complete catalog, warts and all.
I’d suggest watching this quick, before someone figures it out that the show’s posted on YouTube. And, well, because it’s funny as hell, too.
Comments closedLeaving Star Trek behind (for now, at least), we move on to…Shakespeare. How’s that for a little whiplash.
See, the trick to accumulating material from YouTube is to allow your mind to drift into a complete free-association blur of reality. With this freedom, you can switch between high concept science fiction (Wagon Train in the Stars) to the foundations of drama.
This piece made the rounds on my Facebook and seems a nice kick-off point for a week’s worth of videos on the subject.
From documentary to humor, animation, live action and mind-bending modern fiction, Shakespeare represents a combination of the classical and the modern. (See, for example, 10 Things I Hate About You.)
The first time I visited England, they were just breaking ground on the Globe. I still haven’t seen the inside of the theatre, but I intend to, someday.
Comments closedI wish this segment of highlights could go on longer, but alas, the available material on YouTube is limited to what I’ve already included here, and this last piece.
I found these clips originally because I was looking to see if MUMMENSCHANZ was still performing here in the US. Apparently I just missed them, but I don’t think they travel to where I am. I suppose I’m lucky that I saw their work (twice, I think) while I was still in Rochester, in addition to the Broadway show.
I recall my grandfather being mystified by their performance. He liked the musical Peter Pan much more, because (as I recall) there was a story associated with the show. There are stories associated with MUMMENSCHANZ’s vignettes, too. They’re just a whole lot more abstract.
At any rate, enjoy.
Comments closedReturning to the world of MUMMENSCHANZ today and tomorrow,
These vignettes work best because they reach in and touch our deepest human emotions, even though they only hint at or mimic the human form. The messages stick – happiness, triumph, surprise and sadness. You don’t need words to express these feelings. In a lot of ways, mime is the purest form of storytelling because without words, it becomes a universal communication tool; language that is capable of crossing borders and cultures.
Comments closedYou can sort of understand the magic of MUMMENSCHANZ when you see the performances on a small screen, but they don’t convey the audience participation. I’ve seen Blue Man Group live and they also include the audience, but their performances are far louder and much less subtle. Still, they and Pilobolus are the only groups I can think of who come close.
So what’s the appeal?
By taking inanimate objects or unfamiliar abstract shapes and breathing life into them, they manage to convey human emotions without words. You don’t need words to understand sadness, joy, pride or confusion.
I wish I could find part 1 of this series. You haven’t missed it – it’s not on YouTube.
Note that I’ll be interrupting the stream tomorrow, because of Patriot Day, but there are two more parts after the 11th, and all three are equally long (around 15 minutes per segment).
Comments closedI know you probably think this is about The Muppet Show, since I feature them often enough, but no. This week’s featured performers, MUMMENSCHANZ, just celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2012.
The Swiss mime group caught my attention in the mid ’70s and early ’80s. Their work, featured on The Muppet Show and elsewhere, so surprising and out of the ordinary, reminds me of a living abstract animated film. You can’t believe there’s a human inside some of their creations.
In a lot of ways, they’re doing what Jim Henson did with some of his more experimental Muppet work,
I’ve seen their shows at least twice, on tour in Rochester and in Manhattan on Broadway. Glad to find them online and shareable in this medium.
(Note that this was the link to the full episode, which is on the Muppet Show Season One DVD set. It appears Disney figured it out. Sigh.)
Comments closedFounded in 1971, Pilobolus is well known for dance and transformation. They were recorded on the German TV game show “Wetten Dass” (Let’s Make A Bet).
I’ve never seen the troupe perform live, but it’s comforting to know that although the founders have moved on, the troupe itself remains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilobolus_(dance_company)
Comments closed