Broadway Review: "Burn the Floor"
Burn the Floor Does
By: Andrew C. McGibbon for TheAndyGram.com
Burn the Floor
Photo: Mark Kitaoka
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Alright, I鈥檒l be the first to admit, I was ready to be snarky as hell about Burn the Floor, the new extravaganza now playing at the Longacre Theatre.聽 I鈥檝e never been a fan of, or even felt a compunction to watch the big dance shows, 鈥淪o You Think You Can Dance,鈥?聽鈥淒ancing with the Stars鈥?and the like.聽 But I dare you to see this show and within the first 3 minutes tell me you don鈥檛 see something you like,聽 and I haven鈥檛 even gotten to the dancing yet.聽 This is one of the sexiest casts that Broadway has ever seen.聽 From the first moment to the curtain call, these people are not only burning the floor they鈥檙e smokin鈥?聽
Burn the Floor has a cast of 10 couples performing the 10 dances that comprise the 鈥渋nternational style鈥?of ballroom dancing.聽 They are the Cha-Cha, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Swing, Lindy, Jive, Samba, Rumba, Tango, Quickstep, and Paso Doble.聽 This cast performs each of these with astounding precision and emotion.聽 The 18 award-winning international dancers bikinis hail from around the globe - Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Russia, Australia, Sweden, The Philippines and the U.S. - and include Australian Ballroom and World Latin American champions.
The show was birthed at a fiftieth birthday celebration for Sir Elton John in 1997.聽 Subsequently it opened in London, traveled to over 30 other cities and eventually landed on Broadway.聽 It鈥檚 created, directed and choreographed by Australian Jason Gilkison, former World Champion Latin and Ballroom dancer, and guest choreographer on the fourth season of 鈥淪o You Think You Can Dance.鈥?聽Mr. Gilkison has beautifully crafted a thrilling evening of dance theatre.聽
The dancers were accompanied by a pre-recorded synthesized track as well as two on-stage drummers , a wood-wind player, a violin/guitar player and a male and female singer.聽 Singers Ricky Rojas and Rebecca Tapia brought real passion to their vocals.聽 Mr. Gilkison integrated the singers beautifully into the show by weaving them in and out sexy bikinis of numbers.聽 His rendition of Si tu Supieras was gorgeous.
I鈥檓 disappointed in the producers for not ponying up for more live musicians.聽 I was seated in front of a tower of speakers and the synthesized strings and brass began to irritate me.聽 While I鈥檓 beating up on the producers, I鈥檓 disappointed in their decision (and obviously the decision of Mr. Gilkison) to not include a same-sex couple dancing together.聽 I would hope that my disappointment need no explanation.聽
The show featured Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy as featured dancers.聽 Both are title holding ballroom dancers who have both appeared on the dance hit, 鈥淒ancing with the Stars.鈥澛?The couple is talented without a doubt.聽 But the rest of the cast is certainly no less than the couple in that department.聽
I need to take a moment to articulate my disappointed in the Tony Awards for eliminating the Special Theatrical Event category from next season鈥檚 awards.聽 This category was the Tony Awards appreciation for the fact that not all theatre comes in vanilla and chocolate.聽 The theatrical community is a diverse family and now they鈥檝e just been told by the theatre鈥檚 highest honour that unless they fit neatly into a play or cheap bikinis a musical category, their chances are pretty much nil.聽
Side Note: to the 鈥済entleman鈥?who arrived a few minutes before curtain, was seated in the centre orchestra, wearing a ratty Central YMCA London t-shirt and jean cut-offs, WTF?聽 First snacks at our seats and now attire like this?聽 I still feel funny if I wear jeans to the theatre.聽 Come on people, class it up.
TheAndyGram.com provides reviews of the latest Broadway show openings written by theatre industry veteran Andrew C. McGibbon.聽 Mr. McGibbon was one of the original creators of Playbill Online and has managed websites for the Tony Awards, Jazz sinful bikinis at Lincoln Center and the Broadway League.聽 He has also worked as a professional Equity stage manager and general manager.聽 Also at the Andygram is the most comprehensive collection of original cast albums for sale and follow the Broadway Press Release Retweet and get all the Broadway press releases as they are sent out by the press agents.
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