spelling out my name since 1985
Fans of Jessica Lang Dance, this is your last chance.
On January 24th, 2019, the final Michigan performance from Jessica Lang Dance will take place at the Wharton Center. Artistic Director Jessica Lang is the mastermind behind her company’s diverse lineup of original works. I spoke with her about the final tour with her company, her method for choreography, and what’s next for her.
Continue reading “Interview: A conversation with Jessica Lang”
It’s safe to say that our daughter Margot is OBSESSED with “Frozen.” I have watched the original movie, plus the “Frozen Fever” short and “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” special, more times that I care to admit. There are always requests from the back seat for “Anna song!!” As we approached Margot’s second birthday, it made sense to have “Frozen” be the theme.
That thought was further set in stone when I saw a post on Facebook a few months ago about a company called Princesses by Bianca. Looking at the photos and learning about the company, I thought that having Anna and Elsa at Margot’s party would be the perfect entertainment for Margot and her little friends. Who doesn’t love meeting Disney characters? We knew Margot would go nuts when she saw them, but it was also fun imagining how all of her friends would enjoy it, too.
With Margot’s birthday falling on a holiday, it has made sense to have her birthday parties a week or two later to give us time to prepare and have more people in town. Wouldn’t you know it that after a month of no snow, Margot’s birthday party day would also be the first big snow storm of the year?
We joked that it was our fault for inviting Elsa and Anna to Okemos for the day. But despite the worries about the roads and the layers of salt in our foyer, it ended up being the perfect backdrop for a pretty magical afternoon.
As a child of the 90s, the animated offerings bestowed upon my generation were an embarrassment of riches. Seeing these films in the theater and watching them hundreds of times on VHS left many imprints on my childhood memories. Just a couple of decades later, our appetite for all things comforting and nostalgic has been whetted by remakes and revivals on both stage and screen.
In that way, it’s no surprise that the opening night of “Anastasia” at Wharton Center felt like a dreamy journey to the past. “Anastasia” will play to audiences at Wharton Center through January 20, 2019.
I still remember seeing the 1997 animated film as a 12-year-old girl in a theater in Atlanta, where we were visiting family over Thanksgiving break. I remember singing the songs with friends at sleepovers. I introduced the movie to my oldest daughter, who was also my date opening night.
Experiencing the story and music of “Anastasia” in a new and exciting way took time, but it was worth the wait.
Continue reading “Review: “Anastasia” is a dreamy journey to the past”
It’s a new year, and a new musical will be inviting audiences on a journey to the past when “Anastasia” arrives at Wharton Center, January 15-20.
“Anastasia,” based on the 1997 animated film, explores what might have happened if Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia were still alive, miraculously escaping the execution of her family in the early 20th century. The story follows Anya, an orphan with few keys to her past, who joins two con men aimed at passing her off as the Grand Duchess.
Stephen Brower stars as Dmitry, one of the men leading Anya on the journey to finding her family and a character many 90s kids will remember rivaling Prince Eric for their affections.
I spoke with him on a blustery and cold January day (how Russian of us) about his work in “Anastasia,” his unlikely activity outside of theatre, and what he hopes audiences will take away from the show.
Continue reading “Interview: Once upon a January with Stephen Brower of “Anastasia””