I realized I haven’t posted since July. Oops. Here goes…
In August, I was privileged to work with the Summer Youth Intensive once again at Wheelock Family Theatre. With John O’Neil on my left and Sophie Rich on my right, how could I go wrong? I directed/choreographed Once on this Island, Jr. for 24 8-14 year [...]
When all is said and done, however, the success of this production rests squarely on the shoulders of Director and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins (with an occasional homage to Bob Fosse). Without her consistently fluid overall approach, as well as her countless amazing little touches, this could easily have been a flat and dispassionate bunching of disjointed star turns. It’s hard to believe that this is only her second professional directing effort, much less that, according to the background information from New Rep‘s website, she accomplished this with just two weeks of rehearsal. Thanks to her vision and the talents of this impressive cast, the sweat never shows, but the heat sure as hell does.
Robbins takes on the choreography as well as the direction, and wisely keeps it to a generous minimum. The action is funny and expressive, but not too elaborate — a blessing for the cast, who only had eight days of rehearsal You’d never know it, judging from the way they pull off their moves.
That’s not to say that the show is reserved or physically static. Rather, it’s flowing and graceful; a little soft-shoe here, some physical comedy there, and always a sense that we’re watching fully formed characters in action.
Ilyse Robbins makes her New Rep directorial debut and also choreographs, with assistant choreographer Maurice E. Parent. One would expect a musical directed by a choreographer to contain interesting stage movement and artistic dancing, and Robbins succeeds in making the show visually dynamic. Costa (Dance Captain) proves himself to be a suave song and dance man, tripping the light fantastic fantastically in “Sara Lee,” strutting his Fosse-esque stuff in three numbers from Chicago, and later coupling with Doherty after her graceful solo waltz as a woman considering a marriage proposal. Robbins finds a variety of clever ways to employ props and keep the ensemble in motion, notably in “Coffee in a Cardboard Cup,” “Me and My Baby,” and “Ring Them Bells.”
Thanks to New Repertory Theatre and Ilyse Robbins and company for getting it right.
Director/choreographer Ilyse Robbins gets maximum comic effect from songs like the fabulously naughty “Arthur in the Afternoon.” Dynamo Shannon Lee Jones proffers a girl’s best “secret to happiness” while the dashing De’Lon Grant reveals some outrageous, muscular musical timing. Jones then knocks “All That Jazz” out of the ballpark and Grant shows his vulnerable side with the Spider Woman’s “Kiss.”
Choreographer Iyse Robbins paces the show well, knowing when to liven it up with choreography utilizing the whole stage and when to let the actors sit still and put their voices and expressions at the service of Ebb’s moving and witty lyrics. The cast executes her fun choreography—with frequent use of props both expected (top hats, money-lined jackets) and unexpected (baby buggies, a shopping cart stuffed with Sara Lee pies)—with exuberance and ease.
THEATER
New Rep names some directors
E-mail | Print | Comments (0) Posted by Laura Collins-Hughes May 31, 2011 05:25 PM
Remaining mum about the reason for artistic director Kate Warner’s abrupt exit last week, New Repertory Theatre has tapped Ilyse Robbins to direct and choreograph its summer show, “The World Goes ‘Round.” Before her departure, Warner had [...]
Praise must also go to … Ilyse Robbins’ firmly concentrated direction together with her lively choreography
Come and meet those dancing feet as the Stoneham Theatre presents the classic Broadway musical 42nd Street. IRNE Award-winning choreographer Ilyse Robbins makes her professional directorial debut and impresses with great staging of great dances. She creatively meets the challenge of space constraints, as well as scaled-down orchestra and ensemble. Music Director Jim Rice leads a band of three, but puts out a big sound augmented by the ferocious rhythm of the troupe of tapping chorus boys and girls.
