What's fun about Suchu Dance's newest opus, Masters of Semblance, is that it isn't exactly new, but culled from several of artistic director Jennifer Wood's greatest hits. As Houston's most prolific choreographer, Wood had no shortage of material to work with.
To add in more fun, she's changed up the costumes and music.
Will her fans recognize her re-configured choreography? Stay tuned, there will be a quiz and a prize.
For veteran Suchu dancers like Lindsey Sarah, the experience proved a walk down memory lane, while for newbie Shanon Adams, it was top to bottom all new moves for her.
For Wood, the recycling process lent a touch of freedom. Instead of generating movement, she got to play dance DJ, mix-mastering some of the works she wanted to see again. For all those Suchu fans who have been begging Wood to see this or that piece again, Masters of Semblance, should have a cool deja vu feel. For those new to Wood's twist on contemporary dance, it will be great way to see the range and breadth of one of Houston's most beloved dance artists.
Suchu shows excerpts of Masters of Semblance at the Spacetaker "SOLD OUT" gala Saturday at Spring Street Studios and the show runs March 24-April 3 at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex. Join us for sneak peek of Suchu "soup" below.
"Art and About" with CultureBro Joel Luks and CultureSis Nancy Wozny, explores how Suchu Dance recycles past works into a new dance:
Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.
With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.
The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids — Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) — are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.
Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.
Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.
Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.
There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.
A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.
With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.
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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.
