Uplifting Theater, from Pros to Amateurs
On Oct. 23, I attended the Asolo Rep’s season-opening production, the Tony Award-winning “Contact.”
This dance-heavy show, conceived by choreographer Susan Stroman, features a cast of Asolo regulars, Broadway performers and members of the Sarasota Ba llet. It’s the first time in the show’s 10-year history that a U.S. theater company and a ballet company have collaborated on a production.
And how proud Asolo Producing Artistic Director Michael Edwards and Sarasota Ballet Artistic Director Iain Webb must be of this partnership. The New York dancers and the local ones blended seamlessly in this effervescent, three-vignette show that, with relatively little dialogue and plenty of fancy footwork, speaks volumes about the need for human contact.
Edwards really knows how to start the Asolo season with a flourish, as he’s demonstrated in previous years with “Amadeus” and “Barnum.” At a pre-performance dinner where the buzz was palpable, Edwards noted these tough economic times are challenging for arts organizations. But he praised the donors in the room because, “You want to live in a community where art matters, and we have to measure up. We are a barometer for what a community really values and is willing to draw the line for.”
The following night, I was in the Visual and Performing Arts Center Theatre at Booker High School for “Flight of the Lawn Chair Man.” Now, I’ve seen some amazing productions by the talented VPA students in the past. But it had been a while since I’d been there, and I wasn’t familiar with this musical, so my expectations were low.
Kelly Leissler in Flight of the Lawn Chair Man.
Wow, was I enthralled by the standout performances and the show’s catchy score and witty, satiric lyrics. Inspired by a real event, the musical tells the story of a sad sack Wal-Mart clerk who achieves his dream of flying by attaching helium balloons to his chair and rising to 16,000 feet. Without being the least bit sappy, the show celebrates those who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to stand up to authority.