Review: RENNIE HARRIS PRESENTS ROME & JEWELS at The Joyce Theater Captivates

Rennie Harris and his company, Puremovement are performing the choreographer's influential work, Rennie Harris presents: Rome & Jewels at The Joyce Theater in celebration of the company's 30th Anniversary. It's a great time to view the internationally renowned hip-hop troupe's stunning talents in this groundbreaking show through February 12.

Rennie Harris presents: Rome & Jewels was created by Harris in the late 1990's. He has conceived, directed, choreographed, and written the piece. It received The Shakespeare Theater Award and it was also a three-time Bessie Award winning work. The presentation reprises the Bard's story of Romeo & Juliet bringing the iconic love story to the streets of Philadelphia with an inventive retelling of the tale's love and conflict. The narrative is very well constructed for a modern audience. The hip-hop and street dancing by the company is some of the best you'll ever see. Audiences will be captivated by the dancers' athleticism, energy, and their amazing sense of rhythm.

The program is performed to music that works perfectly, Numb by Portishead and Leave It By Yes. The talented DJs that perform on stage are Evil Tracy The International Showoff and DJ Razor Ramon.

The cast and dancers include Brandon Albright, Angel Anderson, James Colter, Joshua Culbreath, Phil Cuttino, Anthony DeNaro, Duane Lee Holland Jr., Miyeko Urvashi, Rennie Harris, Ozzie Jones, Joel Martinez, Rodney Mason, Fyness Mason, Emily Pietruszka, Jeremy Taylor, and Julie Urich.

The Creative Team has done a top job of bringing Rennie Harris presents: Rome & Jewels to Joyce Theater. They include additional writing by Ozzie Jones, D. Sabela Grimes, Rodney Mason, and Raphael Xavier; sound design and musical direction by Darrin Ross; original lighting design by Pamela Hobson; lighting design by Julie E. Ballard; costume design by Don Miller; original visual design by Harold Goldkranz; and visual design by Ryder Palmere. The Dramaturg is Ozzie Jones.

Rennie Harris presents: Rome & Jewels is a show that audiences will long remember after the curtain call. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. The performance schedule is as follows: Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm. Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$65, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212- 242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. For more information and to read about The Joyce Theater's detailed health and safety protocols, visit their website.

Photo Credit: JHsu Media

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