BWW Reviews: Rubicon's FASCINATING RHYTHMS Electrify

Fascinating Rhythms
conceived by Karyl Lynn Burns, Melissa Manchester and Cate Caplin
directed and choreographed by Cate Caplin
Rubicon Theatre, Ventura
through December 23

One of the most uniquely thrilling musical experiences to be found in the theatre right now is at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. There's a glorious production there called Fascinating Rhythms, an ode to ballroom dancing told through the music of one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our time Melissa Manchester.

Manchester sings with eight magnificent dancers surrounding her. There are three couples performing samba, cha cha cha, rumba, the foxtrot, jive, swing and the tango: Michael Kuka and Natalia Lind, Christopher J. Beroiz and Anya, and Willem De Vries and Alicia Richardson, with comic tappers Richard Schwartz and Melissa Giattino providing unexpected humor and terrific tap dancing. Sometimes one pair, sometimes two and other times all three pairs dance together, but whatever the configuration, it's physically astounding and electrically charged. The two tango numbers are especially on fire with Beroiz exotically manipulating a cape while stepping in dandy torero fashion. Under the expertise of director/choreographer Cate Caplin, a ballroom dancer, the couples seamlessly weave the dances in and out of songs like "Let's Face the Music and Dance", which opens and closes the show, "From This Moment On", "Rock Around the Clock", "Midnight Blue", "Through the Eyes of Love", "Come In From the Rain", "Don't Cry Out Loud", "Gypsy in My Soul", "I Got Rhythm", the title song "Fascinating Rhythm" and Manchester's beautiful "A Mother's Prayer". Manchester does about a dozen songs either center stage or at the piano, and "A Mother's Prayer" she introduces with a lovingly poetic description of a child's heartbeat, the pains of childhood and the wild rhythms of the teen years, placing dance universally at the core of everyone's daily living. Sometimes crazy, sometimes predictable, but hopefully always graceful, the rhythms of dance bring great joy. Manchester looks and sounds stunning, making four costume changes. She could go on singing... to the delight of the audience!

Great lighting design from Jeremy Pivnick, set design by Thomas S. Giamario, costume design from Stacie Logue, wonderful music supervision from Stephan Oberhoff, and superb musical direction from Dean Mora and drummer Emiliano Almeida, who do a wildly original Duke Ellington patter in Act II, make the show rock. But it's Cate Caplin and the dancers and Manchester who are to be praised for their vision and sensational execution of this dynamite little show and to Karyl Lynn Burns for her brilliant germinating concept. This is a different and truly exciting evening in the theatre, perfect holiday fare!