![]() ![]() Most of the critique concerns the main narrative, one that is told with all the sign-posting and broad strokes of a classic myth. And I suspect it’s this-what might perhaps be loosely described as a problem with translation-that is at least partly responsible for the drubbing it has received by the New York critical establishment. audiences, and clearly isn’t working out of American theatrical traditions. ![]() But as I sat trying to puzzle through this somewhat confusing work, the thing I kept coming back to was this: although both set and performed in New York City, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise doesn’t seem to be designed for U.S. It’s a show created by the renowned Chen Shi-Zheng, in collaboration with writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (of the Kung Fu Panda), with music (not enough) by Sia. A so-called “kung-fu musical,” it’s a piece that is part family drama, part mythic creation, part experimental theatre, part martial arts demonstration, and part circus spectacle. Just pick the right seats for your show!! For me I went specifically for a concert so I can't advise on a tourist visit.Co-conceived and Directed by Chen Shi-Zheng Ĭo-conceived and Written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn BergerĪ scene from Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise. Photo by Stephanie Berger.īOTTOM LINE: While clearly a lot of money was spent on this piece commissioned by The Shed, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise underscores how no budget will make up for the lack of a good story.ĭragon Spring Phoenix Rise tries to do many things. It is an incredibly beautiful facility, pristine and clearly efficiently run to manage crowds and visitors. The performers in the show did move throughout the theater so that was inclusive but the lighting design and video were for the audience infront of the stage so when I saw the press photos afterwards ( there was a strict no photo policy during the show, requested by Bjork and enforced by staff) it was an entirely different experience. My son is 11 and there did not appear to be an issue with his age.Once seated I knew that my seats which were to far left of stage were completely wrong to watch this type of show so unfortunately this spoiled the experience a little for me. You are clearly and firmly directed through the beautiful venue in an incredibly efficient manner, front door to seat is pretty seamless and the staff are strong and clear. ![]() There is no messing around when you enter the building passing a seating and bar area to one side. We had seats in the second row which I thought would be ideal for an intimate theatre style performance. Taking my son and flying from Ireland for the event. I recently went to see Bjorks performance at the Mccourt Theater. I know mistakes happen but come on, don’t ruin our Saturday night plans AND make me feel like a criminal AND then offer a half as-ed fix. Suddenly a wave of kindness and apology arrived. She then realized that they had not in fact ever emailed new tickets (a glitch in their system). ![]() The manager agreed to provide tickets for another date. The show had started a half an hour before! A pair of late seats is not enough. Again though, minimal apology just more implication that it was our fault (we missed the updated email memo). On the way out, on a whim, we stopped at the main office, talked to another manager who in two minutes, competently, found our reservation and issued new tickets. We departed to a “that’s how we do things” “too bad,” despite there being hundreds of empty seats available at the start of the show. Her rudeness, lack of empathy and inability to come up with a solution were shocking. If we wanted to see the show she offered to sell us another few hundred dollars of tickets or we could go home. Our seats were in a section that they closed due to low attendance and they had supposedly emailed new seats (they didn’t). The theater manager implied that my tickets were counterfeit. We came to the theater with a pair of digital tickets (and emails from the Shed) and left unable to see the show. As a start, the Theater Manager should be retrained (or fired). This beautiful New York non-for-profit needs good customer service, not just talented performers to thrive. The Shed is half empty on a saturday night, a week into its main summer production (Dragon Spring) at least in part because key staff is rude and incompetent. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |