The origin of the term vaudeville has as many interpretations as Lady Gaga’s wardrobe, but it is most commonly associated with theatrical variety shows that emerged in the late 19th century. Speaking of Gaga, entertainment has certainly changed since then.
The variety shows of old vaudevillian days inspired Danceworks’ new performance, aptly titled Vaudeville, which premieres this weekend. Danceworks Performance Company dancer and choreographer Kelly Anderson is the creative power behind this concert, as well as a solo performer.
Vaudeville is sort of a mixed bag, spanning genres and eras. There will be song and dance pieces from the ’20s and ’30s, comedy and even an acrobatic piece. Anderson begins with the music, extracts the words and then applies them to the verbalization of the body.
“In vaudeville days, the acts were character-driven,” Anderson says. “I wanted to re-envision some of the characters, so that our concert will have those kinds of acts, but in a contemporary tone.” Anderson spent about a year researching, seeing different types of acts, including burlesque and circus shows to prepare for Vaudeville. She has crafted vignettes, 13 in all, to bring out the diverse talents of each dancer. “I formed a springboard of ideas and then was able to break it down into acts,” she explains. “After rehearsing, not just the dancers’ talents but also their personalities emerged.”
For seasoned dancer Melissa Anderson (no relation to Kelly), Kelly Anderson wanted to tap into her past career as a ballerina, so she will dance the role of a child in pointe shoes to the music of Helen Kane, the famed voice of character Betty Boop. In her solo performance, created by guest choreographer Ed Burgess, Kelly Anderson will perform to the cheeky Judy Garland tune “I don’t care.”
During her research, Kelly Anderson met good fortune in finding a former vaudeville performer and accordion teacher named Viv. A zippy octogenarian, or possibly older, Viv shared stories and photos of her days performing with her husband as “Pinto and Viv.” Actual images from Viv’s scrapbook will help transform the black box theater into a more authentic performance space.
Danceworks, offering classes and performances to the community since 1992, has a company of nine professional dancers and presents three major productions each year. See Vaudeville until Feb. 27, at Danceworks Studio Theatre (1661 N. Water St.). For tickets, call 414-277-8480, ext. 6025, or click here.
One more not to miss: Japanese Animation Association convention at the Frontier Airlines Center Feb. 18-20 (open to the public). Anime is a multibillion dollar agency? Yes sir. Cartoons are no longer just for kids. And it’s not just cartoons. There will be video games, trinkets, fashion and musical performances.
Started by the UWM chapter of the Japanese Animation Association in 2007, the convention has doubled its attendance every year, projecting 4,000 people this weekend. For more information visit http://www.animemilwaukee.com/.
