dance

GHDT finishes season strong; watch for more

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By John Lyle Belden

This evening (June 7) Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre concludes its 27th season with bold works for “Summer Solstice.”

According to my quick websearch, earth.com notes the Solstice (longest day of the year, coming in just two weeks) is celebrated by many spiritual traditions, important for “setting an intention” for the coming months. With this weekend’s program, Gregory Glade Hancock and his talented dancers show their continued willingness to expand the use of movement to communicate feelings and stories.

In the world-premiere of “Let It Be Known,” poet Bruce Ford delivers a long monologue of hip-hop style verse that speaks to struggle and aspiration that draws on his Black experience and hope for humanity. As he speaks, dancers Thomas Mason, Sophie Jones, Abigail Lessaris, Josie Moody, Cordelia Newton, Olivia Payton, and Audrey Springer reflect and illuminate his words. Together, they make the “music” that we feel – no background song is played or necessary. Ryan Koharchik’s exceptional (as always) lighting design comes into play here with precise use of spotlights.

Another premiere is “Journey to Freedom,” a series of dances evoking the pain of a nation’s people being invaded, occupied, and displaced, as well as their bravery to overcome. The focus is on Eastern Europe, which Hancock is personally familiar with, including recent travels. The pieces honor Latvia, where residents once kept a secret “national anthem;” Poland, once invaded on two fronts attempting to erase if from the map; and, Ukraine, where their struggle continues today. The movement is strong and evocative, to music ranging from traditional to contemporary, as well as sublime work by Polish composer Frederic Chopin (a beautiful solo by Moody). The principal dancers are joined by summer interns Nathalie Boyle, Gwynevere Deterding, Tasha Sterns-Clemons, and Izzy Wolf, with Academy of GHDT student Hazel Moore appearing as the “flower girl.”

After the intermission, the mood shifts from the very serious to the exceedingly strange with an abridged version of Hancock’s 2006 “Alice and Her Bizarre Adventures in Wonderland,” envisioning Lewis Carrol’s classic story through a warped punk-Goth lens – as if to wonder, what would frighten yet enthrall a young girl today? Springer is our title character, bringing us with her down the rabbit hole to meet a fascinating edging on nightmarish cast. Highlights include Payton as the Cheshire Cat, Mason as the Caterpillar, Lessaris as the Duchess, Newton as the Mouse, Moody as Queen of Hearts, and Jones as the Mock Turtle. All the dancers are in Wonderland, including students Moore, Fiadh Flynn, Penelope Lomax, Josie Steinmetz, and Megan Webb.

As for the dance sequences, Hancock said he was once asked, “if you choreograph this while awake, what are your nightmares like?” It says something about our tastes, I guess, but we were thrilled, with Wendy hoping to see the full show staged again someday.

What we know will happen is the upcoming 28th season. It kicks off with the “Fashion at the Florence” fundraiser on Sept. 13 at 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel. Dance programs feature the return of “The Casket Girls” in October, “Exodus” in March 2026 and “Antony and Cleopatra” the following June. There will also be “Melange” presentations of improvised dance and art with guest vocalists the weekends of Sept. 20 and Nov. 15, as well as March 14 and May 16, 2026.

For all the details – and tickets to today’s 5 p.m. performance at The Tarkington stage of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, if you see this right after it’s posted – visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.  

‘Spring’ anticipates more artistry from GHDT

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By John Lyle Belden

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre had a beautiful two-day run of its program, “Spring Equinox,” on April 4 and 5 at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Circumstances led to us seeing it on the second day.

I’m usually not comfortable writing up something you who read this cannot also enjoy. However, Gregory Glade Hancock’s company has much more planned in the coming weeks and months.

In “Spring Equinox,” which he said was themed around “beauty in unexpected places,” Hancock mostly brought back works he choreographed for a past generation, including “The Western Wall,” as dancers represented prayers flying up from the old Jewish Temple wall  in Jerusalem, using colorful costumes from the 1998 premiere; and “Contusion,” an abstract dance set to the percussion music of Australia, originally premiered in 1999 but now with updated costumes to better reflect Aboriginal culture. This latter piece, even with less of a storytelling element, was still a crowd-pleaser with its energy and rhythms that the audience spontaneously picked up, clapping to encourage the dancers.

This season’s company – Abigail Lessaris, Sophie Jones, Josie Moody, Cordelia Newton, Olivia Payton, Audrey Springer, and Thomas Mason – had solo opportunities in 1998’s “God’s Island,” with its country-folk soundtrack, and for Mason, an excerpt from the recent production, “There’s No Place Like Home.”

This program also presented a beautiful new work by Hancock, “The Lady of Krakow,” inspired by his recent visit to Poland during a tour of Eastern Europe. There, he saw a street performer singing, observing not only her but also how other people reacted, stopped to listen, or just walked on by. “And I thought to myself,” Hancock said in his pre-show talk, “what if they just started dancing?”

In this performance, acclaimed local vocalist Ashley Nicole Soprano stood center stage as The Lady, treating us all to sacred operatic arias as the GHDT dancers walked around and by, then one or two or more at a time, stopped, and swaying to her vocal spell, became the music visually.  Hancock student dancers Arina Bolotina, Magnolia Donaghey, Penelope Lomax, Isabella Webb, and Brittney Zhang joined the company in this wonderful spectacle. It had the feel of a street scene being elevated to a moment in a ballet or classic silver-screen musical.

Soprano will return to collaborate with GHDT in its next “Melange,” May 17-18 at The Florence performance space in The Academy of GHDT, 329 Gradle Drive in Carmel. In this show, as in past Melanges, our vocalist will be the only one with a planned program, but no rehearsal. She will be joined by Hancock company dancer Springer, who will interpret as the singing and music moves her, and visual artist Gaby Mojica, who will observe and create an original work in acrylic paint inspired by it all.

The company as a whole will return to The Tarkington stage at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel for “Summer Solstice” on June 6-7 with another program of new and revived dances.

For information, and tickets to “Melange,” see gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org; tickets to “Solstice” are also available at thecenterpresents.org.

A swingin’, showtune singin’ GHDT ‘Melange’

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By John Lyle Belden

If you are reading this before 3 p.m. Sunday, March 16 (I’m posting it only hours before), do consider heading over to Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre’s office and studio on Carmel’s Gradle Drive, in the big black box of The Florence, to see the latest collaboration of “Melange.” For the $20 ticket, you get 16 hit tunes sung by the fabulous Tim Hunt, along with the grace and energy of dancer Abigail Lessaris, during on-the-spot creation of art by painter Lily Kessler.

If, as most will, you read this late Sunday or after, read on to get the feel for this unique production that had excellent performances by other eclectic trios last year and should return in future months.

The concept is simple and challenging. Gregory Glade Hancock assembles a vocalist, a visual artist, and one of his company dancers for a weekend of three performances. The person singing and/or speaking arranges a one-hour program without collaborating with the others – they might not even meet until the first show date. So, for the dancer and artist the work is entirely improvised, drawing inspiration from everything in the moment. The results are each unique, coming together nicely due to the dedication and professionalism of the participants. The artwork is shown to the audience at the end – taking a photo of it is ok – and it is donated to GHDT and immediately auctioned.

Each vocal artist brings their own flair, naturally, and you may know Hunt from his recent “sweet” turn as Frank in Indy’s “Rocky Horror” – but he’s not doing that character here. He sings popular bits from other shows he’s done, ones he just liked the sound of, and one he would really like to do. He also displays his love for the songbook of Rat Pack-style jazz and Harry Connick, Jr., with a number of swinging and sentimental songs. He’ll also give us a little Don McLean (“Not that song,” he says before, “or that other one, either”). The delivery is pure joy; it would be worth the ticket and more if this were just his cabaret.

However, there is also Ms. Lessaris, an instructor and the assistant director for GHDT, and frequently a featured dancer in their shows. Her flowing modern and ballet style matched the beat leaving her glowing with energy (and sweat) and enjoying every minute. Styles ranged from gentle grace to the opportunity for a quick hillbilly jig. The songs having instrumental breaks even gave her “solos” to show off. One wouldn’t know there was no prior collaboration.

Abstract painter Kessler, an adjunct professor at Butler University and creator of “The Art of Living Yoga” book series, literally let the energy of the hour guide her into her work. The resulting in-balance beauty I’ll not elaborate on as today’s creation won’t necessarily be the same as it, however this original – her fastest work, she confessed – was worth more than its multiple bids.

See gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org for information on this and future performances, including the dance programs “Spring Equinox” on April 4-5 and “Summer Solstice” June 6-7, both at The Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. The Academy at GHDT is at 329 Gradle Drive.

Cajun celebration with GHDT

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By John Lyle Belden

While the parties are rolling out in New Orleans – starting with a Super game and parading towards Mardi Gras – Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre indulges in some big fun “Down on the Bayou.”

Gregory Glade Hancock dusts off a couple of past works with the feel of southern Louisiana culture, starting with the title sequence. It kicks off with the Hank Williams Sr. hit, which the dancers take to with joyous energy, like a hot night on Bourbon Street. An eclectic mix follows, with various rhythms. Being the lone principal male dancer, Thomas Mason gets a huge workout, including pairing with Abigail Lessaris and Olivia Payton, and even a solo. Also we see the talents of Josie Moody, Audrey Springer, and new members Sophie Jones and Cordelia Newton.

A couple of numbers showcase the young students of the Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre: Abigail Arboleda, Arden Brothers, Fiadh Flynn, Penelope Lomax, Hazel Moore, Josie Steinmetz, Megan Webb, and Britteny Zhang. They already show great poise and potential.

The main company gets their mojo working with “Papa Legba,” featuring Mason as the titular Vodun character, as well as Newton, Springer, and Moody, before the others join in. Atmosphere (including lighting designed by Mason) and Hancock’s costuming contribute to this piece’s mystical feel.

The second half of the program brings out Hancock’s knack for visual storytelling with “Why Look at That Moon,” set to a series of songs by celebrated Louisiana-born songwriter Victoria Williams. Her unique voice and country-folk style provide the canvas on which the dancers bring forth movement suggesting the “Boogieman,” the woman at the “Clothesline,” the “Wobbling” bird, and even old “Tarbelly and Featherfoot.” Featured dancers include Lessaris, Moody, and Newton, and there is a sweet pas de deux with Mason and Jones to “Can’t Cry Hard Enough.”  

A celebratory and sensational program of dance, we have two weekends left “Down on the Bayou,” through Feb. 23 at The Florence at the Academy of GHDT, 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel. Get info and tickets at gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

DK explores shifting relationships, past and future

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By John Lyle Belden

The power and high quality of Dance Kaleidoscope continues in artistic director Joshua Blake Carter’s second season, starting 2025 with a bold program, “Nothing is forever, darling,” at the Schott Center for the Arts on the campus of Butler University on Indy’s near-northside.

In Carter’s choreography, we encounter a wide variety of style and emotion in company premiere works. The title piece is performed to a set of songs by Rufus Wainwright, whose unique voice is a vital aspect of the atmosphere. This soundscape is given life by the movement of the dancers ranging from carefree (“Movies of Myself”) to melancholy (“Leaving for Paris”) and back again.

In “Fever Dream”, mortality and intimacy meet, choreographed by Sean Aaron Carmon to the music of Iron and Wine. In minimal, flesh-toned costumes, dancers Cody Miley and Sarah Taylor perform a stunning “nude” pas de deux.

With “Take A Gambol” the company has fun with a 60s jazz style in hip black suits and – in a first for DK – shoes! Originally created by Carter for a Chicago company in 2018, this piece includes music by Maynard Ferguson and Perry Como. Think “Fosse meets Rat Pack” for a hint at what it’s like.

For the intense second act, Carter presents the world premiere of “Shaker Loops,” with his choreography to the 1978 work of that name by composer John Adams. This could be looking to the past, inspired by sound-recording methods of its era with costuming a nod to a now-vanished religious sect, but its electronic sound, frenetic tension-building movement and stark lighting (designed by Laura E. Glover) gives a sort of sci-fi vibe. The result is a fascinating and sensual experience with dancers in perfect command of their bodies.

Along with Miley and Taylor, performers were Jonathan Cubides, Ryan Galloway, Ryan Jaffe, Courtney Jefferies, Marie Kuhns, Vivian Mickels, Natalie Nagy, Morgan Ranney, Nathan Rommel, Julie Russel, Manuel Valdes, and Zay.

This program had a single weekend, Jan. 17-19. Upcoming performances by Dance Kaleidoscope include the world premiere of “Emerge” by DK’s Jaffee & Hall Emerging Choreographer Award Winner, Tsai Hsi Hung, on March 14-16, and “Under the Covers,” featuring dance by Carter and Autumn Eckman to songs by familiar artists including Billie Eilish and Brandi Carlile, May 30-June 1. Both of these will be at The Toby at Newfields. For information and tickets, see www.dancekal.org.

Words, dance and visual art flow into GHDT ‘Melange’

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By John Lyle Belden

On the weekend of January 11-12, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presented its fourth iteration of “Melange,” a largely-improvised blending of artistic disciplines by three individuals who had not only not rehearsed, but met one another on the first performance day. At the center is a performer who sings or speaks – the only element that is prepared – while a GHDT dancer interprets the goings-on in dance and a local artist captures an impression on a canvas.

Actor Jean Arnold was at the center of the space, delivering a program of spoken word, poetry and song. At the start she gave a rhythmic recitation of the folk song “The Unicorn” to set the mood of wonder and introspection with a touch of humor.

Compiled and arranged by Arnold, these pieces include a mother’s reflections on children, one she called “Fearless and Fierce,” a passage relating inner peace to world peace, one on “The Dancer,” and one “on Loving.”

The source material, she said, was literally all around us as the big box of a performance space – The Florence at the Academy at Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre – before its recent renovation had various quotes, sayings, poetry, and scripture passages of numerous faiths written below the floorboards and behind the wall surfaces, under the guidance of founder and artistic director Gregory Glade Hancock. Arnold had seen these, she said, and included some in her performance – quoting sources ranging from the Bible to Jimi Hendrix.

GHDT principal dancer Thomas James Mason was a flowing force that moved throughout the performance. He ranged from pure interpretation to moments of interplay with Arnold, when she would, with a mischievous grin, join him for a step or two. At moments, an old-time microphone stand would swirl in and out by Mason at her beckoning.

The dancer seeming to be all over the stage was captured in a number of dynamic poses by portraitist Robert Maurice Smith. In his drawing Saturday evening, Smith also captured Arnold’s energy, including, in a moment of late inspiration, the pages of the script binder that she occasionally held appearing to flow out to merge with Mason’s outstretched limbs. At the end of the performance, host (and GHDT assistant director) Abigail Lesaris auctioned the impromptu artwork with proceeds going to the dance company.  

“I am many things, but I am not quiet,” Arnold said smiling during the performance. Afterward, she noted this was unlike anything she had done on stage and enjoyed the challenge. “I wanted to leave people with something,” she said of her inspired approach.

As with the previous Melange productions, there was an almost polished feel to the unrehearsed proceedings, a confident reflection of artistic professionals. All present understood that this was, like all live theatre, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As this posts, there is still today’s performance, 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at The Florence, 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel. See gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org for details and tickets, as well as info on their next show, “Down on the Bayou,” three weekends, Feb. 8-23, at The Florence.

Anguish of atrocity honored in Gregory Hancock program

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By John Lyle Belden

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presented another brilliant example of its ability to tell a story and evoke feeling through movement with its “Autumn Nights” program.

“Art should be challenging,” founder and director Gregory Glade Hancock says. This is certainly brought to bear in the debut of his important work, “Beyond These Gates the Land Groans.” These words were written on a wall of the Police Prison Camp at Salaspils, Latvia, operated by Nazi Germany as a labor and concentration camp from October 1941 until the Soviets closed it at war’s end in 1945. Though not as infamous as larger facilities, it was just as cruel, leading to the deaths of thousands of people (many of them, children) from disease, starvation and other mistreatment.

In 1967, a Memorial was built to remember those who were lost there, which included a number of sculptures whose brutal appearance reflected their suffering. Hancock saw these on a recent visit to Latvia and said he was instantly inspired to compose this piece.

The resulting performance literally stunned us. The movement portrayed the grace of humanity but no further beauty. Dancers worked in open space against the constant tension of being in a restrained, hopeless place. They appear as representation of the memorial statues, in the same poses, and move to express their struggle and sorrow. They come forward, challenging us to see them, hear their silenced cries. The stark vision extends to the costumes (also by Hancock), plain prisoner uniforms hanging loose upon starved bodies, as well as there being no music, just the ongoing rhythm of a recorded human heartbeat. At a moment of desperate necessity, there is the wail of a violin. At the end, as we had been cautioned before the show, few felt like applauding – some in the audience briefly clapped out of respect for the artists; the rest of us, intensely moved, honored it with silence.

Dancers were the principal GHDT company – Sophie Jones, assistant director Abigail Lessaris, Thomas Mason, Cordelia Newton, Josie Moody, Olivia Payton, and Audrey Springer – with GH Academy students Arden Brothers and Hazel Moore.

The program also had lighter and otherwise entertaining works. It opened with “The Visit,” a 1992 Hancock dance with Eastern European influences, appropriate to the Halloween season. Mason enters the center spotlight and summons the others in a bewitching circle of celebration and magick. The “sisters” include Lessaris, Moody, Payton, Springer, and provide a lovely introduction of new dancers Jones and Newton – the latter getting a brief solo. Student Penelope Lomax also makes an appearance.

Hancock also revived a fun 2008 piece, “The Seven Deadly Sins.” All listed above, as well as students Abigail Arboleda, Fiadh Flynn, Morgan Rice, Josephine Steinmetz, Charlotte Terzino, and Brittney Zhang, take turns in various numbers embodying Pride, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, and, of course, Lust. In the end, Terzino reappears as Virtue to set the moral order right.

The “Autumn Nights” came and went – last Friday evening and Saturday afternoon – at The Tarkington of the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Upcoming events will be nearby on The Florence stage at Gregory Hancock’s office and Academy, 329 Gradle Drive:

 “Melange” returns with three artists of different disciplines combining their talents in a single improvised theme. On Nov. 16-17, visual artist Kevin James Wilson, vocalist Tessa Gibbons, and GHDT’s Josie Moody will create a masterpiece within the same space.

“WinterFest,” a celebration of different year-end holidays, will be at the Florence on December 6-8 and 13-15.

For information on these and performances in 2025, visit GregoryHancockDanceTheatre.org.

‘Tales’ part of DK’s continuing story

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By Wendy Carson

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a preview performance of the latest Dance Kaleidoscope show, “Late Night Tales,” at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. I decided to go into it without having any idea about what I would see and was delighted by the result.

As I didn’t have a copy of the program at the time, I was not able to read about the ideas behind each of the four sections, so I give you my insights and interpretations as to what I personally experienced. Overall, my impression was that the show took us through several decades of dance styles and history.

The initial piece, hiFi (choreographed by Sean Aaron Carmon), was lively and very jive inspired. It included several fun songs and some classic crooners from Perry Como. This felt like a beautiful tribute to life in the late 1940s, incorporating ballet and touches of modern dance as well.

Dance number two, Rhapsody in Blue (choreographed by David Hochoy), whisked us from the streets of New York City to the ‘50s glamor of Hollywood. It included a spectacular homage to Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire, along with choreography indicative of several hit shows of the period.

The third number, Peak/Valley (choreographed by Janice Rosario), brought us to the ‘60s and the strong influences of Martha Graham on the dance styles of this time. The movement evoked images of tribal celebrations, African wildlife, and personal interactions. Being much more stylized, it felt more in tune to the modern dance styles one would expect from the company.

The final number, “Late Night Tales (choreographed by Joshua Blake Carter), brings forth the title of the show and some of its inspiration. With clips of an interview with David Bowie interspersed, we are plunged into the gritty underground rock movement of the ‘70s. The latter half of this offering felt like a tribute to futuristic sci-fi stylings (think Metropolis) and provided an amazing showcase to highlight each dancer’s physical prowess and abilities.

In all, the show was delightful and appeals to all ages, hopefully inspiring some familial stories for our generations to share. Unfortunately, it only had one weekend of performances, but DK has more wonderful dances planned in the coming months: “Nothing is Forever, Darling,” featuring the music of Rufus Wainwright, in January at Schrott Center for the Arts; and world premieres “Emerge” and “Under the Covers,” March and May, respectively, at Newfields. Visit dancekal.org for details.

I would also like to mention that with it being a preview, I was privy to watching the cast go through their individual warm-ups prior to the show. That was a wonderful performance all its own. If you ever have the chance to experience it yourself, I strongly suggest you do.

Fall for the charms of SSS ‘Music Man’

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s an often-told story: A stranger comes into a sleepy town and everything changes. However, in this case, that’s the stranger’s plan the whole time.

Summer Stock Stage presents a full production of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” directed by founding artistic director Emily Ristine Holloway. And I do mean “full” – the whole musical on the full-size Ayers Auditorium stage (at Park Tudor School) with orchestra in the back, led by Mike Berg Raunick, and a cast that Holloway tongue-in-cheek calls “seventy-six actors” (a rough count in the program is close to that number). They represent 30 different Indiana schools, she said, mainly teenagers with younger children in age-appropriate roles.

This company gives an exceptional performance throughout, from the overture to the curtain call.

In 1912, “Professor” Harold Hill (Justus Palumbo) arrives in River City, Iowa, a practiced con man posing as a traveling salesman of band instruments and uniforms. The grift involves convincing a town it needs a youth band, selling them everything they need with the promise he’ll organize and teach, but skipping town with the money before giving a single actual lesson.

Iowans aren’t that easy to fool, especially town librarian Marian Paroo (Jilayne Kistner), but Hill accepts the challenge, demonizing the new pool tables downtown and getting everyone singing and dancing as they await the arrival of their instruments. Both Marian and Mayor Shinn (Andrew King) suspect something dishonest is happening, but are swept up in the events of that magical summer. Marion’s shy, lisping little brother Winthrop Paroo (Tad Klovsky) is coming out of his shell; meanwhile, local delinquent Tommy Djilas (Justice Harris) is doing honest work, albeit as Hill’s unwitting accomplice.

But even master manipulator Hill isn’t immune to changing attitudes – or love.

The cast also features Gracie Reckamp as Amaryllis, the girl with a crush on Winthrop; Taylor Smith as Marcellus Washburn, an old friend of Hill’s now in on the scam; Paige Murray as the Mayor’s wife Eulalie, who wishes to be seen as cultured so is easily talked into leading a women’s dance committee; Gabi Bradley as Zaneeta Shin, the Mayor’s daughter who is seeing Tommy; Elizabeth Hutson as Marion and Winthrop’s mother, who takes a shine to Hill from the beginning; Caleb Trinoskey as Charlie Cowell, a crude traveling salesman out to expose Hill; and Martini Otaletan, Jackson Bullock, Thomas Bowling, and Colin Alber as city School Board members who find themselves formed into a pitch-perfect barbershop quartet.

Palumbo and Kistner, both college-bound high school graduates, give professional-level performances as Harold and Marion. He gives Hill suave charisma and endless charm; while she presents as nobody’s fool, while understanding that this “band” may be the best thing to ever happen to this town.

King amuses with his bossy bluster as Mayor Shinn. Murray easily steals scenes as his wife. Hutson’s Mrs. Paroo is a steady presence, an old Irish soul whose only desire is for love to prevail. Klovsky, naturally, charms as Winthrop.

While the songs and story are what makes this musical famous, this production features some incredible dancing, choreographed by Phillip Crawshaw. The big numbers fill the stage with precision and dazzling moves; moments when Tommy and Zaneeta pair up really pop; and the movement and clever use of the books during “Marian the Librarian” are simply stunning.

For anyone who likes “The Music Man,” or is open to it, this brilliant production is a must. Performances are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 28-30. The Saturday Matinee is a “sensory-friendly” performance for patrons who would be more comfortable with that. Park Tudor is at 7200 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, follow the signs to Ayers Auditorium. Go to summerstockstage.com for tickets.

Footlite ‘In Paris’ in Indy

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By John Lyle Belden

At a time when the French capital is on our minds with the upcoming Olympics, Footlite Musicals presents “An American in Paris.”

Based on the 1951 Gene Kelly film – a showcase for both his dancing and the celebrated music of George and Ira Gershwin – the musical, with book by Craig Lucas, had its world premiere in Paris (naturally) in 2014 before its acclaimed Broadway run in 2015. The local production, Footlite’s summer show featuring college-age performers, is directed and choreographed by Kevin Bell.

With World War II just ended and the City of Lights finally recovering, we meet Adam (Seth Jacobsen), an American still limping from his war wounds. He makes his living playing piano and writing music while helping local friend Henri (Louis Soria) become a nightclub singer, unbeknownst to his industrialist parents. Meanwhile fellow American soldier Jerry (Alexander Holloway) purposely misses his train out of Paris so he can stay and work on his art.

From the beginning there is a mysterious girl (Jaelynn Keating) who we find out is Lise, a second-generation ballerina who, at the request of American heiress Milo Davenport (Remi Shirayanagi), is to star in a new ballet written by Adam, who feels a deeper connection. For Jerry it was love at first sight, as he insists on having more time with Lise to finish his sketch of her. But what neither man knows is that she is a long-time friend of Henri, who is working up the courage to propose to her.

The cast also includes Audrey Beaverson, Ella Bassler, Tajeyon Bohannon, K. Dottery, Emma Gedig, Josh Hoover, Tatum Meadors, Danny Roberds, Katie Van Den Heuvel, and Thomas Zotz as The Maestro of the ballet company.

This production is unusual in being a sort of hybrid of a traditional stage musical and ballet, with graceful dancing in most scenes. This works in part because of the triple-threat talents of Holloway and Keating. Their singing is exceptional in numbers like “I’ve Got Beginner’s Luck” and “The Man I Love” and their dancing is exquisite, especially together in the climactic title ballet. Jacobsen is also strong in stage presence and singing voice, as well as showing he’s quite a dancer in a fantasy scene.

A celebration of love and Gershwin, “An American in Paris” has performances Thursday through Sunday, June 27-30, at Footlite’s Hedback Theater, 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at footlite.org.