American Repertory Theatre - Loeb Drama Center (Cambridge, MA)
Acrobat and artist Aurélia Thierrée (also Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter) presents a topsy-turvy world of surreal surprises, tricks, and transformations, where dreams come to life and the impossible happens before your very eyes. Inspired by old music hall and variety acts, Aurélia's Oratorio is an ideal holiday treat for the whole family.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last event was Saturday January 3, 2009 / 8:00pm. (view all dates)
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It was the most beautiful surrealistic and poetic performance I have seen in a long time. A theater as it would have been done by Rene Magritte. Aurelia is a female mix of her great hrandfather and Baster Keaton. Imaginative. Tender. Simply great!
My son, 12 and myself really enjoyed the show..something like we have never seen before.
What a creative and spellbinding combination of music, surrealism, dancing,acrobatics, illusion and brilliant scenery. It was an enormous treat to the senses with imaginative uses of scenery. A perfect New Year's Eve evening to see the Chaplin family continue to enthrall.
June Levinson
I think the right words for it are charming and whimsical. I liked it. I was entertained by it at times but not amazed by it. I didn't love it. Its definitely got a great old timey feel to it but it failed to achieve that magical quality I had expected from the billing. Partly this might be due to the fact that the seats I ended up with were basically a few rows from the very back so that didn't help :)
Beautiful and gentle clowning. Highly conceptual imagery about the human condition.
I also loved the show. It was full of beautiful and odd images, surreal twists and flights of fancy. From the back it could be difficult to see some of the subtler images, but we had a great time nonetheless.
Had I known how avant garde the performance would have been, I wouldn't have purchased tickets. It was not at all what I expected. The responsibility goes to the promoters, including Goldstar, not the performers, however. If there'd been an intermission, we would have left at that point. The standing room-only crowd in the back edged themselves down further and further. Since I sat on the end, it was a bit disconcerting to have someone sitting on the steps, bumping my arm. Sadly, it wasn't received well by either my partner or myself.
An enriching experience. Sometimes so simple, yet so sophistocated. The simple devises are used with tremendous imagination. My favorite section was the man in light and shadow - presenting a fuller way to look at the event. Surprises throughout. Clever. And short enough so that it never tired.
Aurelia and her co-star were captivating, humorous and magical. A wonderful example of European circus entertainment. The music in the show was also very enjoyable.
It was an interesting and entertaining show but nothing special.
The show had elements of puppet show, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, and mime performance all combined on one stage.
I don't recommend this show for kids younger then 12 years old.
I have to admit that we weren't very impressed at the beginning, all the tricks are old fashioned, my six years old asked couple times, what was funny about, why people were laughing... But the stage was beautiful, so was the music and the performance, the whole atmosphere took us quickly into the scene and followed the stories. All in all I like it. I'd say it is more for someone with artistic bent, but may not extremely pleased by the audiences who is looking for more of contemporary versions of magic tricks.
the seats we got actually were pretty good, a good view of the stage, will definitely use the service in the future and go back to ART for more events.
This show was absolutely delightful! It was magical, sweet, a lovely way to bring in the New Year.
Fantasic, surreal, beautiful, inspirational...the whole experience to me was about the power of imagination and where it can take you.
Amazing, fantastic & captivating.
Not what I expected...it was a very odd show, and definitely too short - only a little over an hour. Amusing in parts and overall, entertaining (if not always for the 'right' reasons) but didn't live up to all the hype and magic as promised.
Although very creative we found this show ODD! Knowing what we know now, would we see it again, I'd have to say NO.
My husband and I walked out of this show before the intermission! We didn't find it funny or amusing or the least bit enjoyable. I had been so excited about it, but was sorely disappointed.
Very creative use of movement and body alignment. Vaguely reminiscent of Maureen Fleming, but more in the "intimate circus" concept, rather than Maureen's Zen-movements.
Part stage magic, part acrobatics, part vaudeville, this show was funny, charming and enormously entertaining. It left us wanting more!
I enjoyed the show quite a bit, but like one of the other reviewers, didn't find it earth-shattering. It has a similar feel to Cirque du Soleil in many respects, but it's not nearly as fancy. It's definitely worth seeing for the whimsical, surprising moments.
The Mainstage's 556-seat theatre is the venue for most A.R.T. productions as well as fall and spring mainstage productions of the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC). The building also contains the Loeb Ex, or Experimental Theatre, a "black box" that is used by the A.R.T.'s Institute for Advanced Theatre Training and the HRDC.
The production also features Jaime Martinez (from November 28-December 12 and Julio Monge (from December 13-January 3).
Aurélia Thierrée was first seen on the A.R.T. stage as a young girl, performing in the Cirque Imaginaire with her parents. Now an actress and acrobat in her own right, Aurélia has charmed audiences around the world with this dazzling display of stage illusion, inspired by the magic of music hall and circus, and co-created with her mother Victoria Thierrée Chaplin.
The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) seeks to expand the boundaries of theatre, exploring the best texts from across cultures and ages. A resident company of professional artists, teachers, technicians, and administrators, the A.R.T. provides a home for outstanding directors, a training ground for young artists, and a vital cultural resource for the community.
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