Through Oct. 11, something magical is taking place at the Alliance. And if you’re wise, you’ll secure a ticket to see Twyla Tharp’s muscular and exuberant new dance/theater hybrid Come Fly With Me before it leaves town and hits the road.
The music of Frank Sinatra is used to underscore the journey four couples take during a single (wild) evening at a nightclub. There are the young lovers (Laura Mead and Charlie Neshyba-Hodges), the jaded but elegant older couple (Holley Farmer and John Selya), the on-again-off-again wildcats (Karine Plantadit and Keith Roberts) and the eccentric loners (Rika Okamoto and Matthew Dibble). Over the course of one night, they meet, fall in love, fight, kiss, make up, shed clothes and have one halcyon moment of clarity before hitting the streets.
Instead of hiring a Sinatra sound-alike, the show uses actual Sinatra vocal tracks that are accompanied by a live band. Songs are alternately sung by Sinatra and a female jazz singer, who at one point even duets with Ol’ Blue Eyes.
Delightful moments abound, from the slapstick mating dance of gifted physical comedians Mead and Neshyba-Hodges (in “Makin’ Whoopee”) to Farmer’s power over men (highlighted in “Witchcraft”) to the bittersweet, complex love affair between Farmer and Selya that erupts violently in “That’s Life.” A strong ensemble cast provide plenty of eye candy and competition for the main characters’ affection.
Tharp’s choreography is elegant and sophisticated one minute, savage the next, but always compelling. The mastery of the dancers is breathtaking to watch as they’re swung, flung and spun across the stage, over the heads and under the legs of their dancing partners. It’s a jubilant hybrid of swing dance, modern movement and classic ballet, and the overall effect will make you laugh, tear up and long for those nights you thought would never end.
