Spring Break
The Daily Orange'Steel Pier' flashes back to 1930s marathon dancing
By Jolyn Wu
Posted: 10/6/08, 12:29 AM EST Section: Feature
A step inside the Storch Theater at Syracuse Stage transports the audience back through time.
Syracuse University Drama spares no details in recreating the past. Posters around the theater advertise an "upcoming" dance marathon in the play outlining its many rules and regulations. The orchestra starts playing, and suddenly it's the 1930s all over again.
Set in the post-Depression period, "Steel Pier" tells a story of hope and desperation masked by catchy music and lively 1930s dancing. Fast-paced, yet beautifully poignant, the story draws the audience in and keeps them entertained.
The first act is a myriad of activity. Enigmatic, fresh-faced Fly Boy Bill Kelly (senior Brendon Stimson) falls from the sky and becomes a dance partner to the famous Lindy's Lovebird, Rita Racine (senior Nadine Malouf). Though it seems like the beginning of a store-bought fairy tale, Stimson and Malouf capture the unusual dynamic that subtly underlines the relationship.
In a true depiction of the rule that dancers were only allowed a 15-minute break every hour, the performers swing, twirl and dance non-stop for more than an hour. It becomes almost exhausting to watch. While this makes the play seem enjoyable, the exhaustion in these "bunion derbies" is obvious by the gleam of perspiration that adorns each dancer.
While dance marathons may seem brutal and humiliating, they provided much needed hope in the post-Depression period. "Steel Pier" captured the spirit of these competitions.
"It's got real heart, very human and very visceral," said David Wanstreet, director and choreographer of the show.
As the marathon wore on, competitors slept in their partner's arms. Highlights include Couple No. 3's (junior Michael Rios, sophomore Kristin Morris) comical catch-and-release dance with eggs.
The second act strips away the superficial glamour of the competition. Buddy Becker (senior Brody Hessin) finally cracks under the exhaustion and has to walk away. Hessin plays the character well, building him up as an obnoxious and pompous individual to make his fall seem all the worse. The despair and hopelessness depicted by Becker and his wife, played by senior Elena Shapiro, provide the necessary contrast to justify Rita's burning desire to return home.
But the marathon must go on. Mick Hamilton (senior Benjamin Michael), the oily emcee and Rita's husband, suggests she marry Kelly in a cellophane wedding. This dance marathon staple was a hit, as dancers dressed in the translucent material - a tantalizing show of skin that was otherwise unheard of in that era. The costumes are also the originals from the 1997 Broadway production.
jcwu@syr.edu
Syracuse University Drama spares no details in recreating the past. Posters around the theater advertise an "upcoming" dance marathon in the play outlining its many rules and regulations. The orchestra starts playing, and suddenly it's the 1930s all over again.
Set in the post-Depression period, "Steel Pier" tells a story of hope and desperation masked by catchy music and lively 1930s dancing. Fast-paced, yet beautifully poignant, the story draws the audience in and keeps them entertained.
The first act is a myriad of activity. Enigmatic, fresh-faced Fly Boy Bill Kelly (senior Brendon Stimson) falls from the sky and becomes a dance partner to the famous Lindy's Lovebird, Rita Racine (senior Nadine Malouf). Though it seems like the beginning of a store-bought fairy tale, Stimson and Malouf capture the unusual dynamic that subtly underlines the relationship.
In a true depiction of the rule that dancers were only allowed a 15-minute break every hour, the performers swing, twirl and dance non-stop for more than an hour. It becomes almost exhausting to watch. While this makes the play seem enjoyable, the exhaustion in these "bunion derbies" is obvious by the gleam of perspiration that adorns each dancer.
While dance marathons may seem brutal and humiliating, they provided much needed hope in the post-Depression period. "Steel Pier" captured the spirit of these competitions.
"It's got real heart, very human and very visceral," said David Wanstreet, director and choreographer of the show.
As the marathon wore on, competitors slept in their partner's arms. Highlights include Couple No. 3's (junior Michael Rios, sophomore Kristin Morris) comical catch-and-release dance with eggs.
The second act strips away the superficial glamour of the competition. Buddy Becker (senior Brody Hessin) finally cracks under the exhaustion and has to walk away. Hessin plays the character well, building him up as an obnoxious and pompous individual to make his fall seem all the worse. The despair and hopelessness depicted by Becker and his wife, played by senior Elena Shapiro, provide the necessary contrast to justify Rita's burning desire to return home.
But the marathon must go on. Mick Hamilton (senior Benjamin Michael), the oily emcee and Rita's husband, suggests she marry Kelly in a cellophane wedding. This dance marathon staple was a hit, as dancers dressed in the translucent material - a tantalizing show of skin that was otherwise unheard of in that era. The costumes are also the originals from the 1997 Broadway production.
jcwu@syr.edu
Be the first to comment on this story