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| SINATRA SONG & DANCE: (left to right) John Selya, Holley Farmer, Matthew Stockwell Dibble & company in Twyla Tharp's 'Come Fly Away.' Photo: Joan Marcus |
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Theater Review
Twyla Tharp works her choreographic magic
in the Sinatra song-and-dance musical, Come Fly Away
Come Fly Away
Book by Twyla Tharp
Songs by Frank Sinatra
Directed, conceived and choreographed by Twyla Tharp
Marquis Theatre
1535 Broadway & 46th Street
(212-307-4100), www.comeflyaway.com
Closes September 5, 2010
Click here to download the review
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By David NouNou
A ballroom, a full orchestra, being serenaded by Frank Sinatra, excellent dancers, and choreography by Tony Award winner Twyla Tharp—all spell an evening of magic and enchantment. Ms. Tharp has woven a figurative, gorgeous tapestry through dance. The evening consists of tales told through songs by Mr. Sinatra, and fluid body movements by some of the best dancers in town.
The dancers consist of four couples and their feelings for each other as the evening progresses. Each couple deserves special mention because of their uniqueness. The couples include Keith Roberts, the leading male dancer, if ever there was one, and Karine Plantadit, a leggy, lithe tigress on stage that captures every prey, both of whom dance to “That’s Life,” and it is absolutely sublime. Their chemistry together is palpable. The second couple is the wonderful John Selya and Holley Farmer. Their brilliance stems from their boy-wins-girl routines. Either dancing solo or together, they are enchanting, Watching John Selya is an experience; his solos are impeccable, and when he dances with Ms. Farmer, it is amazing how their bodies meld together. The third couple is Charlie Neshyba-Hodges and Laura Mead. They are the comic figures of the piece. Their dances together are fun, marvelously entertaining, and amazingly complex in their technique. There is no gravity that holds them down.
Matthew Stockwell Dibble and Rika Okamoto portray the fourth couple. They are the loners that are brought together through dance. They glide and sway in rhythmic symmetry. There are, of course, the background dancers that are interspersed between the leads, all of whom are all equally commendable in their own right.
Come Fly Away is hardly a “jukebox musical” because there is no traditional storyline, with classic songs simply thrown in to help weave a narrative together. Instead, the musical is a showcase for Ms. Tharp’s ethereal dance movements, set to an infectious soundtrack of golden oldies from Old Blue Eyes himself, with his mellifluous voice digitally mastered, singing against the backdrop of a live orchestra.
Of course, not every number works, but most of them are exquisite, thanks to Ms. Tharp’s fresh interpretation of the late Mr. Sinatra’s songs. These are not just mere dance routines in a musical or TV show. They are more like tiny masterpieces mounted to Mr. Sinatra’s unforgettable classics. The list is endless. From the beginning number of “Moonlight Becomes You” to “One for My Baby” and “My Way” to the spectacular finale “New York, New York,” we are transported to another world. We are in a ballroom with Frank Sinatra, and wishing the evening would never end.
Published April 1, 2010
Reviewed at Second Night Press performance, March 31, 2010
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