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Victoria audiences to be foiled
How do you follow an act like “Wicked”?
The long-awaited musical that turned out to be well worth the wait closes March 7 after three booming box office weeks at the Schuster Performing Arts Center.
Much as a feast often leads to wrapping up the leftovers, the Victoria Theatre Association is breaking out the aluminum foil.
But “The Aluminum Show,” a quirky, shiny, strange, fascinating and funny exhibition of metallic machinations, is no leftover. Created in 2003 in Israel, it’s touring North America for the first time.
It opens Tuesday, March 9, at the Victoria Theatre as the next offering in the Miami Valley Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Broadway Series.
The offbeat production is no musical, although music is part of it. It’s a combination of dance, design, optical illusion, visual gag, sculpture, puppeteering and pantomime.
The six cast members and four stage assistants manipulate or wear various-sized Slinky-like ducts, tubes and other metallic objects and shapes.
The show began to take shape in the mind of Israeli dancer Ilan Azriel during a visit to a hardware store. It’s considerably larger than the 10-minute puppet show he created and produced previously.
Consisting of 20 segments in about 80 minutes, “The Aluminum Show” was first presented in Jerusalem and has toured other countries for several years.
It has been compared to “Stomp” and “Blue Man Group.” The production’s Dayton visit will be used to promote recycling. Audience members will be invited to contributed used aluminum foil that will be fashioned into a ball. Proceeds from turning that in will be split between Habitat for Humanity and the Victoria Theatre Association’s Education and Outreach programs.
Adults and kids tend to like “The Aluminum Show.” A few excerpts from recent reviews follow.
Thumbs Up:
“In this fast-paced show, aluminum is inflated into pillows, shredded into streamers, shot out of cannons, stretched out into a mammoth blanket, floated in mid-air, turned into hand and stick puppets, and repeatedly transformed into the agile Israeli troupe’s costumes.” — Theatermania.com.
“There’s a fine line between zany and goofy, between uniquely inventive and just plain silly. ‘The Aluminum Show’ zigzags back and forth across that line.” — Schenectady Times Union.
“The show’s whimsical use of metal offers unalloyed pleasure.” — theindependent.co.uk.
“ ‘The Aluminum Show’ has lots of audience participation. Many people say it creates a party atmosphere.” — Kansas City Jewish Chronicle.
Thumb Down:
“It is a mediocre and repetitive display of performers meandering inside metal air conditioning ducts. Audiences should also beware that they will be subjected to very (VERY) loud music and more than once-is-enough ‘mosh pit’ interactions with inflated aluminum pillows, tubing and confetti of all sizes.” — Charlotte Creative Arts Examiner.
What: “The Aluminum Show.”
When: March 9-21.
Where: Victoria Theatre, First and Main streets.
Tickets: $38-$83.
More Info: Call (937) 228-3630 or go to www.ticketcenterstage.com.
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