Friday, May 25, 2007

Twlya Dances to Dylan





"The last thing you think of when you hear Bob Dylan is Broadway. Well, think again. The Times They Are A-Changing" is the brainchild of a flower child: 65-year-old renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp. Anchor Katie Couric reports the new musical, opening on Broadway next week, features more than two dozen Dylan songs. "It's different," Tharp says. Tharp has been down this road before. Three years ago, she won a Tony for conceiving and choreographing "Movin’ Out," a Broadway jukebox musical featuring the songs of Billy Joel. But, she admits, moving from the Piano Man to the Tambourine Man was a unique challenge."

This sounds interesting to me and I hope that I get a chance to see the performance. I think it's great that Bob Dylan is branching out into dance. I could see a problem for this with traditional Dylan fans who seem to think they have a right to tell Dylan what he can do and who he is. It's always like that I guess. The public imprints at a certain stage of an artist's life and that's that.

Here is an Eye to Eye, interview with Katy Couric and Twyla Tharp discussing the production.
I am assuming the show is still touring although, I don't have any info about when it would be in the San Francisco Bay area.

As an aside, Twyla Tharp is quite the happening thing this next coming season at Cal Performance, where almost every dance company in America is dancing to her Sinatra Suites or Songs. I find this disappointing and wish they were presenting a full range of her works. I would go see the Dylan production before I would see the Sinatra Suites for the umpteenth time.

4 comments:

Bobby D. said...

I didn't think this was still in NYC--a friend saw it last November and as a Dylan fan was very sad that bouncy broadway singers were messing around with the songs. It was a father-son circus themed drama , he said, that fell flat. Tharp is wonderful. I wonder if they re-worked it since November?

Bobby D. said...

Dylan isn't in the play, is he? I had not heard this!

Diane Dehler said...

Ched, Dancers and actors are in it. I wouldn't like the songs a la muzak. I thought Dylan approved of the production but I obviously need to read more reviews. And you are right, if it's not good, rework it. I have see videos of Twyla at work and she is inspired when she's on.

Jackie said...

I think I would prefer him as a solo singer in a small intimate dinner theatre than in a big stage production.